The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Australian Government and funded by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, officially launched the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) today in Dili. This system will support the Government of Timor-Leste’s (GoTL) response to increased cross-border movement of people and goods, to counter transnational crime and accelerate economic growth through enhanced border management. 
 
Fully owned and operated by the GoTL, MIDAS will serve as the new border management information system to be installed across key Points of Entry (PoE) and Border Crossing Points (BCPs) around the country.  

During this current Phase (I), MIDAS will be installed at the Nicolau Lobato International Airport (Dili), and the land border crossing points at Batugade, Salele and Sakato as well as the Migration Services Headquarters. 
 
Bryce Hutchesson, Charge d ’Affairs, Australian Embassy in Timor-Leste said that “Border management and security is a shared priority for Australia and Timor-Leste and we believe MIDAS is a great solution for Timor-Leste. It provides a solid foundation for a robust migration management system that will allow Timor-Leste to both effectively manage the movement of people and contribute positively to economic growth”. 

Timor-Leste is a country characterized by dynamic migration flows. Timor-Leste also shares 130 kilometers long western land boundary with Indonesia, and maritime borders with neighbouring countries.  

In an era of unprecedented mobility, the need for efficient and well-functioning border management is a requisite to ensure national and regional security as well as facilitate socio economic development.  

With the capability to collect, process, store and analyse traveller information in real time and across an entire border network, MIDAS will enable Timor-Leste to analyse risks more effectively as well as have data for policy making.  

Speaking at the launch, IOM Timor-Leste Chief of Mission, Ihma Shareef, said “IOM is proud to be able to support the Government of Timor-Leste, in the provision of a fully customized border management information system, tailored to the needs and requirements of the country”. She added, “Technology and tools such as MIDAS along with capacity building, is part of our commitment in Timor-Leste to be able to work on addressing priorities of migration management”. 

During the launch, Vice Minister of Interior, Antonio Armindo, remarked “The technological landscape of border management has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, with interconnected and inter-operable systems becoming the norm in the region. With Timor-Leste’s work in progress to further our regional cooperation, especially in the context of ASEAN, it is now the opportune time for us to be advancing our technological and technical capabilities”. 

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For more information, please contact Ahmed Bilal at IOM Timor-Leste, Email: ahbilal@iom.int