BI, UNOCT join forces in Luxembourg to boost passenger data screening
Bureau of Immigration (BI)
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that from 7-9 April 2025, five personnel from the BI's Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) Operations Center (APOC) undertook a study visit to Luxembourg's Passenger Information Unit (PIU), as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen border security and counterterrorism measures.
According to the BI, the visit was supported by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), a key partner in the capacity-building efforts of the APIS project in the Philippines.
The mission aimed to observe the operational procedures of Luxembourg’s PIU, which currently chairs the global goTravel user community. The goTravel system is used to assess traveler data and detect potential security threats, including terrorism and transnational crimes. Luxembourg’s PIU is overseen by the Luxembourg Police’s International Relations Directorate and serves as the country’s targeting center.
The visit was facilitated by UNOCT and the Luxembourg Police, who also shared best practices in data processing, risk assessment, and interagency coordination.
BI said the exercise allowed APOC personnel to refine their operational strategies under the recently implemented APIS system and expand their technical expertise in passenger risk management.
BI Commissioner Atty. Joel Anthony Viado underscored the importance of international collaboration in strengthening border security.
"This visit is another significant step in the bureau's efforts to safeguard the nation's borders and enhance the travel experience for lawful visitors. We express our gratitude to our UNOCT and Luxembourg partners for their assistance in bringing our goal of a cutting-edge, responsive immigration service in line with international standards to fruition," Viado said.
He added that the Philippine APIS, launched earlier this year and managed by APOC, supports real-time threat detection by enabling the preprocessing of passenger data. The initiative is in line with the government’s broader modernization agenda and contributes to global counterterrorism efforts.