Study visit in Austria on Immigration and Asylum

The Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) invited the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) for a study visit in relation to the Europe Aid project won by Hulla & Co Human Dynamics KG. The three day visit at the beginning of October included a tour of the Joint Operational Office (JOO) in Vienna, Austria, a platform for international investigations into migrant smuggling organised crime groups. The JOO works together with the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) to dismantle the activity of these groups along the Western-Balkan and Central Mediterranean route.

The head of the JOO, Gerald Tatzgern, lead a visit of the headquarters and the delegation was also invited into other branches of the BMI, such as the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA). The discussions included topics from the migration situation in Austria, to the role of the BFA and using language analysis for nationality determination. VERIFIED’s senior advisor, Roderick Martin, was part of the delegation, representing the agency that currently holds the knowledge in conducting language analysis for the Europe Aid project.

The head of the Turkish delegation, Mr. Ramazan Seçilmiş, was pleased with the visit.