Within the framework of the project "EU Support in Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine (EU4IBM)", the EU handed over personal protective equipment to the State Border Service of Ukraine, including helmets and body armor, for a

"In the face of unprovoked and unjustified aggression on the part of the Russian Federation, the State Border Service of Ukraine demonstrated uppermost dedication to ensuring the security of borders, as well as the ability to create conditions for the orderly crossing of the border by millions of Ukrainian citizens escaping the scourge of war.  The provision of personal protective equipment to border guards is one of our main priorities, because for the EU, a person and his safety are the main value," said Xavier Camus, Head of the Good Governance and Democratisation Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

Since late February 2022, the European Union, under the EU4IBM project, consistently has been providing urgent assistance to support the operation of border management agencies in Ukraine.  The project delivered a number of life support supplies, such as meals ready to eat and first aid kits, as well as other equipment worth about EUR 300,000 for the State Border Guard Service and the State Customs Service of Ukraine.  Currently, procurement is underway to respond to other needs of the agencies, including the purchase of additional personal protective equipment, diesel generators, cameras, etc.

"Integrated border management is key to the secure, fast and proper management of passengers and goods crossing borders.  The new reality calls the application of more effective tools and practices to manage the unprecedentedly intensive cross-border flow between Ukraine and its EU neighbors, as well as to respond to new security challenges at the other borders of the country, and we stand there for Ukraine to focus on the most important and urgent needs," - noted Arunas Adomenas, EU4IBM Team Leader.

We would like to remind you that the project "EU Support to Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine (EU4IBM)", funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), is aimed at supporting the implementation of the reforms that bring the Ukrainian border management system closer to the EU standards and  of the best practices of the European Union in line with the Integrated Border Management Strategy of Ukraine, adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on July 24, 2019.