2027 Outline Congress Topics include:
Migration – Trends, Complex Challenges of Mixed Movements, and Returns & Reintegration
Migration remains one of the defining global challenges of our time, shaped by conflict, economic instability, climate change, and evolving geopolitical dynamics. This session will explore the latest migration trends and the growing complexity of mixed movements, where refugees, asylum seekers, victims of trafficking, and economic migrants often travel along the same routes. Discussions will examine the operational, humanitarian, and security challenges faced by governments and international organizations in managing these movements while upholding human rights and international obligations. The session will also address the crucial role of return and reintegration programmes, highlighting approaches that support sustainable returns, strengthen community resilience, and contribute to long-term migration management strategies.
Maritime Borders: Countering Drug Trafficking, Human Smuggling, and Transnational Crime
Maritime borders are increasingly exploited by transnational criminal networks operating across the Atlantic, Caribbean, Americas, and Asia-Pacific regions. This session will examine evolving threats, including cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe and North America, human smuggling and trafficking networks, illicit trade, and the growing use of maritime routes by organized crime groups. Experts will discuss emerging trafficking corridors, criminal methodologies, maritime domain awareness, intelligence sharing, and international cooperation initiatives designed to detect, disrupt, and deter illicit activity at sea. Particular attention will be given to the importance of regional and global partnerships, interoperability between maritime security agencies, and coordinated responses to shared challenges spanning the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Southeast Asian maritime environments.
Countering Terrorism & Cross Border Crime
As terrorism and organized crime become increasingly interconnected, border, law enforcement, and security agencies face evolving threats that transcend national boundaries. This session will examine emerging terrorist and extremist risks, with particular attention to the growing impact of instability in the Sahel and its implications for regional and international security. Discussions will explore how intelligence sharing, cross-border law enforcement cooperation, advanced screening and targeting capabilities, and coordinated operational responses can disrupt terrorist networks and criminal organizations involved in trafficking, smuggling, illicit finance, and document fraud. Bringing together experts from national authorities and international organizations, the session will highlight best practices in counter-terrorism, internal security coordination, and multi-agency cooperation to strengthen resilience against increasingly complex and transnational threats.
AI at the Border: AI-Enabled Fraud, Fake Documents and Digital ID
Artificial intelligence is transforming border management, identity verification, and traveller processing, but it is also creating new opportunities for fraud and criminal exploitation. This session will examine the growing threat posed by AI-generated fake documents, deepfakes, synthetic identities, and sophisticated identity manipulation techniques that challenge traditional border security and immigration systems. Experts will discuss how border agencies, law enforcement organisations, and technology providers are adapting through the deployment of advanced document authentication tools, biometric verification systems, digital identity frameworks, and AI-driven detection capabilities. The session will also explore the opportunities and risks associated with digital identity and trusted traveller ecosystems, highlighting how governments can harness emerging technologies to strengthen security, facilitate legitimate travel, and maintain public trust in increasingly digital border environments.
Digital Borders: Digital Identity and Trusted Traveller Ecosystems
The future of border management is increasingly digital, driven by advances in trusted traveller programmes, digital identities, biometric technologies, and seamless travel solutions. This session will explore how governments, border agencies, and industry partners are transforming the traveller journey through secure, interoperable digital border ecosystems that enhance both security and facilitation. Discussions will examine the evolution of trusted traveller frameworks, digital travel credentials, biometric-enabled processing, and emerging initiatives such as digital identity wallets and one-ID travel models. Speakers will also address the challenges of privacy, interoperability, public trust, and international standards while highlighting how digital border strategies can improve passenger experience, strengthen risk management, and create more secure, efficient, and resilient border crossing processes for the future.
Customs Challenges: From Combatting Smuggling to Trade Facilitation
Customs authorities are tasked with balancing two often competing priorities: protecting borders from illicit trade while facilitating the efficient movement of legitimate goods. This session will explore the evolving challenges facing customs administrations, including drug trafficking, counterfeit goods, revenue fraud, sanctions evasion, and the growing complexity of global supply chains. Speakers will examine how risk management, intelligence-led targeting, data analytics, non-intrusive inspection technologies, and international cooperation are helping customs agencies identify threats without disrupting trade flows. The discussion will also highlight strategies for enhancing trade facilitation, improving compliance, and strengthening border security in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
Use Cases of Technology at the Border
Technology is reshaping how border agencies detect threats, manage risk, and secure increasingly complex border environments. This session will move beyond theory to examine practical operational use cases from across the border security spectrum. Speakers will present real-world examples of how emerging technologies, including robotics, advanced analytics, surveillance systems, intelligence platforms, and digital tools, are being applied to address challenges ranging from irregular migration and unapproved border crossings to child exploitation, organized crime, and intelligence gaps along remote frontiers. The discussion will focus on lessons learned, operational outcomes, and the practical realities of deploying technology to enhance border security and situational awareness.
Future of Integrated Border Management
As borders become increasingly complex and interconnected, the future of Integrated Border Management (IBM) will depend on the ability of nations and agencies to work seamlessly across operational, technological, and geographic boundaries. This session will explore how advanced surveillance, artificial intelligence, data fusion, risk analysis, and intelligence-led operations are transforming border security while facilitating legitimate travel and trade. Particular emphasis will be placed on international cooperation, information sharing, and interoperability between border, customs, immigration, law enforcement, and security agencies. Drawing on experiences from around the world, speakers will examine how integrated command structures, common operating pictures, and collaborative cross-border frameworks can strengthen resilience, improve situational awareness, and create more effective responses to evolving security, migration, and transnational crime challenges.
Airports Workshop – Airports as Border Hubs: Intelligence Sharing, Technology and Threat Prevention
Airports are among the most complex border environments, bringing together customs, border police, airport operators, airlines, law enforcement and international organisations. This interactive workshop will encourage open discussion on how stakeholders across organisational and international boundaries can work together to identify risks, share intelligence, and prevent threats before they materialise.
Participants will explore how frontline observations can be transformed into actionable intelligence, how agencies can improve information sharing, and how airports can address emerging challenges such as insider threats, cyber-attacks, drones, organised crime and terrorism.
The session will also provide stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss technologies that work, lessons learned from operational deployment, and how innovation can support more effective intelligence sharing, threat detection and prevention.
This session is designed to promote dialogue, share lessons learned and identify practical opportunities for stronger collaboration across the airport security community.