Tirana – On February 9, 2023, IOM Missions in Albania and Montenegro facilitated a joint meeting in Tirana among Albanian and Montenegrin readmission authorities to monitor the implementation of the Readmission Agreement between the two countries. 

Respectively headed by Mr. Radovan Popovic, Acting General Director from the Directorate for Administrative, Citizenship and Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and Mrs. Alma Mele, Director of Anti-Trafficking and Migration Policies at the Ministry of Interior of Albania, both delegations exchanged information on readmission statistics for the period 2021-2022 and discussed over ongoing negotiations and protocols as well as those planned in the future.

The Montenegrin authorities were represented with Mr. Dragan Dasic, Director of the Department for Foreigners, Migration and Readmissions, Mr. Dejan Bojic, Senior Inspector in the Department for Foreigners, Visas and Prevention of Irregular Migration, Border Police Sector, Mrs. Stanica Popovic, Commanding General Director, General Directorate of Consular Affairs and Diaspora, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tijana Simic from IOM Montenegro.

While from the Albanian side participated Mr. Ylli Kumrija, Head of the Immigration Sector, Directorate of Migration, Mr. Perlat Leli, Head of Risk Analysis in the Border and Migration Department, Mr. Enver Saliasi, Specialist in the Immigration Sector, Directorate of Migration and Mr. Pashko Lakaj, Head of the Migration Sector, DVKM Shkodër.

Since the beginning of 2018, the Western Balkans region has reemerged as a transit route for migrants towards the EU. This situation revealed an immediate need to further support a comprehensive migration management framework in WB, including the safe and orderly return and readmission of irregular migrants which is essential to enhance the effectiveness of policies in the field of international protection and legal migration. In this context, the authorities of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo* expressed need to further efforts in the area of readmission, especially in terms of establishing cooperation with the Country of Origins of irregular migrants. 

The Western Balkans Readmission Capacity Building Facility aims to contribute to enhanced national migration management and readmission systems in the Western Balkans and strengthened cooperation with relevant countries of origin and EU Member States on readmission.