WHAT IS THE DESC INITIATIVE?

Established in 2012, the Document Examination Support Center (DESC) is coordinated by IOM’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok and in close coordination with document examination experts of immigration authorities in Asia and the Pacific. To learn more, download the DESC Factsheet.


OUR VISION

"Assist requesting Governments in curbing transnational organized crime and preventing irregular migration through capacity building to support law enforcement agencies in travel document examination and verification."


Technical Expertise and Capacity Building for Travel Document Verification
In-House Development of Verifier TD&B and Relevant Capacity building Programmes
Data Management, Regional Trends Analysis and Relevant Capacity Building Programmes
Facilitate Information Exchange and Establish a Regional Structure to Address Irregular Migration

Technical Expertise and Capacity Building for Travel Document Verification

The Document Examination Support Center (DESC) provides guidance, advice and support to immigration and other law enforcement officials in the Asia-Pacific region when they conduct secondary inspection on questioned travel documents, but do not have enough information to make a decision on their status. The DESC room is equipped with specialized equipment, such as microscope, passport reader, UV light, as well as equipment with sophisticated image capturing capacity and various kinds of light sources to reveal covert security features and detect forgeries.

Technical Expertise on Travel Document Verification

Advice in cases of questioned travel document, based on reliable information sources - document examination equipment, specimens of genuine documents and reference sources.

Capacity Building on Passport Examination Procedures

IOM provides tailored basic, advanced and specialized training and on-site job mentoring for requesting Member States.

In-House Development of Verifier TD&B and Relevant Capacity building Programmes

The Verifier TD&B secondary inspection system assists immigration and border control officers in the detection of fraudulent travel documents and identities at border control points. The system also has the capacity to generate a detail technical report of the checks conducted, which can be used according to each immigration agency’s procedures and regulations. In order to streamline travel documents checks the Verifier TD&B is now interoperable with INTERPOL's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database. At locations implementing interoperability, when a travel document is checked with Verifier TD&B, the system will automatically check the document against the SLTD database. Expedite and harmonized procedures for travel documents checks further enhances cooperation nationally and internationally to better address transnational and cross jurisdictional crimes involving fraudulent travel documents and false identities. To Learn more about the Verifier TD&B, download the Factsheet here.

System Maintenance and Enhancement

The in-house software developer maintains and upgrades the software according to the needs of the Participating Members. Verifier TD&B is now interoperable with INTERPOL's SLTD database. To learn more about how IOM and INTERPOL are cooperating in Border and Identity Solutions, view the video here.

Installation and Capacity Building

IOM stands ready to assist with the installation of Verifier TD&B at border crossing points, deliver trainings, and develop tailored Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) as requested by Participating Members. DESC has developed training curricula on the Use of Verifier TD&B and Training of Trainers for Verifier TD&B Training Programme. To learn more about the Training Curricula, download the Factsheet here.


DESC initiative: Verifier TD&B Countries

  • Afghanistan*

  • Bangladesh

  • Bhutan*

  • Cambodia

  • People's Republic of China

  • Indonesia

  • Lao People's Democratic Republic

  • Malaysia

  • Maldives

  • Mongolia*

  • Marshall Islands

  • Myanmar

  • Netherlands*

  • Papua New Guinea

  • Philippines

  • Sri Lanka

  • Thailand

  • Timor-Leste*

  • Viet Nam

*indirect beneficiary country of the DESC Initiative.

Data Management, Regional Trends Analysis and Relevant Capacity Building Programmes

The Verifier TD&B is developed to collect non-sensitive data on gender, age group and travel document used in fraud or imposter cases. The immigration focal point can not only send IOM quarterly data summary but also share specific cases intercepted. By enriching the quality of the data collected, DESC undertakes more solid trends analysis of frauds in Asia and the Pacific as a regional data and information collection mechanism.

ANDEX Fraudulent Document Reporting System (AFDRS)

AFDRS is a web-based information-sharing platform on the use of fraudulent travel documents, designed to collect non-sensitive data at the border control post. The information collected can be used for trends analysis, intelligence development, and serve as a basis for contextualised capacity building initiatives.

Verifier TD&B Newsletter & Online Dashboard

IOM compiles and distributes the Verifier TD&B Newsletter on a quarterly basis to provide more detailed information of cases intercepted and concrete patterns of travel documents and identity frauds in the region. An interactive dashboard, based on Power BI, is also developed to present these patterns visually on a secure, userfriendly platform to convey key indicators at a glance.

Training on Data Protection and Management

IOM has developed a tailored training module on Data Collection, Management, and Privacy at the request of Member States. IOM will identify and train focal points in each country that utilizes Verifier TD&B both at Government and IOM country office level on data management, which will further enhance good practices related to information management and privacy. To learn more about the Training Curriculum, download the Factsheet here.

Training Curriculum: Facilitator's Guide on Rights and Gender Based Approaches to Border Management

DESC has developed a training curriculum to help mainstream human rights-based approaches and gender sensitive practices into border management operations. To learn more about the Training Curriculum, download the Factsheet here.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Travel Document Examination and Verification
Designed for front line and secondary line officers examining travel documents at the border

The DESC initiative developed the SOP for Travel Document Examination and Verification to support front line and secondary line officers examining travel documents at the border throughout the process of travel document examination at border crossing point. It outlines clear instructions of how front line and secondary line officers should examine security features of passports, but it is also applicable to the examination of any other type of travel documents , for instance, visas, identity cards and permanent resident permit card. The SOP is available in four languages, i.e., English, Bangla, Khmer and Thai. Please contact desc@iom.int to request the digital copy of the SOP. To learn more about the SOP, download the Factsheet here.



Collective Insights: Assessment and Analysis of Irregular Migration in the South and South-east Asian Regions – Emerging Trends on Travel Document and Identity Fraud

This study is the product of a joint initiative between the Document Examination Support Center, coordinated by IOM ROAP, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (ROSEAP). The report analyzes trends on the use of fraudulent travel documents and identities in irregular migration in Asia-Pacific region. Data in the report derived from IOM’s Verifier TD&B, IOM’s AFDRS and UNODC’s Voluntary Reporting System on Migration Smuggling and Related Conduct (VRS-MSRC). In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report also highlights impact of the pandemic on the interception of fraudulent travel document and identity cases and provides recommendation to curb irregular migration, particularly in relation to travel documents and identities fraud. Click here to download the report from IOM’s Publication website.

Fraud Cases

Data collected through Verifier TD&B between the year 2014 and 2021 shows that over 50 percent of the documents were scanned during 2018 and 2019. The documents that were scanned during COVID-19 pandemic between the year 2020 and 2021 represented only 10.6 percent of all documents scanned due to border closure and mobility restriction.

Gender and Age

Data collected through Verifier TD&B between the year 2017 and 2021 indicates the following:
  • Males are the majority of individuals intercepted with fraudulent travel documents and identities.
  • The predominant age groups of both male and female were 18 to 30, with most cases being intercepted with fraudulent travel documents rather than intercepted as an imposter.
  • Males between the ages of 31 to 45 years old were intercepted as an imposter the most (348 cases in total).

Most Frequently-Used Travel Document

Top 5 Most Frequently Used Travel Document in Fraud Cases:
  1. The United Kingdom
  2. India
  3. Viet Nam
  4. Thailand
  5. Australia
Most of the intercepted fraud cases involve the use of national passport.


REPORT ON THE USE OF FRAUDULENT MEDICAL DOCUMENTS IN TRAVEL AND MIGRATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The research report was developed by the DESC Phase IV Project as a response to the trends of fraudulent medical documents being used, that were identified through the Asian Network for Document Examination (ANDEX) by its Members during the 6th ANDEX Annual meeting. The study provides insights on sources, types, and users of fraudulent medical documents. It suggests actions for improving international coordination and strengthening mechanisms to identify fraudulent medical documents while identifying challenges encountered by the authorities in responding to the use of fraudulent medical documents. The study used mixed-methods to obtain data for the research, including review of recent literature, a survey of national immigration authorities, and semi-structured interviews with national authorities. To learn more about the research report, download the report from IOM’s Publication Platform.



Asian Network for Document Examination (ANDEX)

Facilitate Information Exchange and Consolidate Regional Structure to Address Irregular Migration

Under DESC, the Asian Network for Document Examination (ANDEX) was formally established in 2013 as the regional platform grouping highly experienced senior law enforcement officials to share information and best practices in travel document examination and verification procedures and patterns of frauds, with the aim of promoting regional coordination to counter irregular migration and transnational organized crime. To learn more about the ANDEX network, download the Factsheet here.

Objectives Overview

  • Raising the collective awareness of member countries on recent trends observed on the use of fraudulent travel documents and immigration fraud;
  • Enhancing regional cooperation on countering irregular migration, including migrant smuggling and human trafficking, and other forms of transnational organized crime.

Annual ANDEX Meeting

IOM and the Chair of the Network organized annual meetings to facilitate information exchange among Member States and establish operational framework to better consolidate regional structure to address irregular migration.


ANDEX MEMBER STATES

  • Bangladesh

  • Brunei

  • Cambodia

  • Indonesia

  • Lao People's Democratic Republic

  • Malaysia

  • Maldives

  • Myanmar

  • Philippines

  • Republic of Korea

  • Singapore

  • Sri Lanka

  • Thailand

  • Viet Nam

Interested Member States and relevant organizations/agencies may request to join the DESC Initiative.
For more information please contact the IOM DESC Team via desc@iom.int


Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

18th Floor, Rajanakarn Building,
3 South Sathorn Road, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 343 9414