The manual was first developed in 2006 and later revised in 2010 to accommodate further changes.
Since then, the Government has enacted new immigration laws and policies, key among them; the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011, the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act Regulations 2012 and the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol in 2010 and the EAC One Stop Border Posts Act2016.
In 2014, the government amended the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, under the Section 75 of the Security Laws (Amendment) Act by adding Section 5A-5D to establish Border Control and Operations Co-ordination Committee (BCOCC) to enhance border efficiency and inter-agency coordination in border management.
Additionally, instability, radicalization and armed conflict in neighboring countries have created an uncertain environment for immigration in Kenya which has been addressed in various policy documents including the revised manual.
Consequently, these new developments will help address various migration challenges facing Kenya in today’s ever mobile, complex and challenging world.
Speaking in Nairobi at the launch, the Director of Immigration Services, Maj. General (Rtd) Dr. Gordon Kihalangwa said that the revised manual will aid border officials tackle a myriad of migration challenges facing Kenya.
“Human trafficking, terrorism, and document fraud are some of the complex challenges we are currently facing at our border posts,” he said.
On his part, IOM Head of Kenya County Office, Mr. Mike Pillinger, noted that the manual is a result of re-assessing immigration and border management against a backdrop of evolving migration trends, policies, profiles, legislations and regulations.
“It pools pertinent up-to-date policies and procedures for the guidance of immigration officers in their daily work at the border posts across Kenya and headquarters in Nairobi,” he said.
Source: APA News

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