12/12/2025
Migration specialists and security forces from Paraguay meet with the aim of strengthening their work against document fraud in the country.
This week, the Paraguayan capital, Asunción, hosted the First Regional Meeting of the Atenas Network, entitled ‘Cooperation against document fraud and new challenges’, organised by the European Union’s EUROFRONT programme.
The meeting brought together institutional representatives from partner countries, members of the Athens Network, immigration and police authorities, as well as relevant actors in the field of security such as INTERPOL and AIRCOP, in a working space focused on strengthening document verification and bi-regional cooperation in the face of emerging threats.
The inauguration was attended by the Vice-President of the Republic of Paraguay, Pedro Alliana; the Minister of the Interior, Enrique Riera; the European Union Ambassador to Paraguay, Katja Afheldt; and the National Director of Migration, Jorge Kronawetter, who highlighted the regional commitment to security and the importance of promoting joint mechanisms to combat document fraud and related crimes.
Throughout the conference, the delegations engaged in technical and operational exchanges addressing the main current challenges in the areas of document fraud and border management. Among the topics discussed were a review of the most significant cases detected in the countries where EUROFRONT operates thanks to the functioning of the Network, the improvement of document verification procedures, and the analysis of new types of fraud detected at border points in the region. The conference also explored the detection of criminal networks linked to the smuggling of migrants, human trafficking and other transnational threats that require a coordinated response.
The meeting also enabled progress to be made in consolidating the institutional structure of the Atenas Network and highlighted the importance of implementing it in Paraguay as well. The delegations discussed the sustainability of the Network through the creation of a Technical Secretariat, the standardisation of methodologies and the need for specialised training to strengthen national capacities in the areas of documentation and border control.
At the closing ceremony, Olivier Luyckx, Head of the Unit for Development Coordination in Latin America and the Caribbean at DG INTPA of the European Commission, reaffirmed his commitment to security as a strategic priority within and beyond its borders and announced that, in the coming days, a temporary and budgetary extension of the EUROFRONT programme would be formalised. This extension will consolidate the results achieved so far, broaden the thematic and geographical scope of the project and strengthen its presence in high-level strategic areas.
The network is based on Punto Atenas, an innovative initiative developed by the Spanish National Police, which acts as a central office for document verification. The network enables information to be exchanged between countries and European centres.
The creation of this Atenas Network seeks to improve the detection of fraudulent documents at the borders of Latin American countries, which in turn can collaborate with Spain with the aim of facilitating the exchange of information and improving migration security.
The network is currently active in eight of the nine countries with which EUROFRONT works. It began in six countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, later expanding to Chile and Uruguay.
The network is currently expanding to include new countries in both Central America and the European Union, consolidating its position as a bi-regional benchmark for document security and coordinated responses to transnational crime.
The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to anticipate risks, reduce vulnerabilities and move towards a more secure and resilient region, thereby strengthening technical and political cooperation between South America and the European Union.
