The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has expressed support for a roll-out of the National Biometric ID cards by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission.The IOM has a European Union (EU)-funded project “Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa (FMM West Africa), which is relevant to the launch.The roll-out will be discussed this week in Niamey, Niger at an ECOWAS Heads of Immigration meeting.The two-day meeting will address mobility from and within west Africa, where intra-regional and irregular migration feature prominently in the political agendas of most west African governments.The IOM said: “To facilitate the free movement of persons across national boundaries, a UN-deemed 'right', a biometric ID card will speed up the process of controlling massive movements of people”.FMM West Africa Programme Coordinator ad interim Kristiina Lilleorg, said: “This meeting presents an opportunity to discuss the response to the opportunities and challenges related to migration and mobility.”Migration is a shared responsibility of countries of origin, transit and destination. By weighing the modalities of member state-level roll-out of the Biometric ID card, ECOWAS Heads of Immigration and partners will promote safe and facilitated regional cross-border travel of ECOWAS citizens. Further, the meeting will hear various options and propose concrete joint initiatives, including a Task Force, to combat irregular migration, fight trafficking and smuggling, and protect vulnerable migrants in the region.”

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