PIDC Holds Seminar for Development of Regional Model Standard Operating Procedures
The PIDC Secretariat hosted a Seminar to develop Regional Model Standard Operating Procedures in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 13 - 17 November 2017. Fourteen PIDC Members (Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) including the Directors of Immigration for French Polynesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga and the Acting Director of Immigration for Vanuatu participated in this seminar.
The Seminar allowed PIDC Members to strengthen regional efforts to secure borders and better facilitate legitimate travel by collaboratively developing a robust, modern and streamlined set of model SOPs. With the support of regional immigration specialists, the Seminar developed a PIDC guiding resource aligned to international and regional standards and best practices for Members to adapt taking into account national circumstances when developing national immigration SOPs.
The Seminar identified a number of best practices to provide additional and innovative approaches to immigration activities with participants developing the basis of model SOPs for issuing passports and visas, passenger processing at airports and seaports, immigration investigations and deportations, and managing cruise liners, criminal deportees and outlaw motorcycle gangs. In their discussions, participants acknowledged the importance of maintaining flexible and updated SOPs utilising innovation and technology to future proof immigration processes and interventions. Participants strongly encouraged members that had yet to develop national SOPs to adapt the Regional Model SOPs as appropriate with national circumstances, and requested the Secretariat to engage with larger PIDC administrations and partner law enforcement organisations to provide technical assistance and support for the adaptation of SOPs where required.