The mid-term MARRI Regional Committee meeting under the Presidency-in-Office by North Macedonia was organised in a hybrid mode at the premises of the Regional Centre in Skopje. On behalf of the Presidency, the event was chaired by the MFA Director for European Union Dzenk Sejfula, and attended by MARRI Committee members, Coordinators, MARRI Participants Representatives and MARRI RC staff. Following the MARRI RC Director Sashko Kocev exposé on the Regional Centre’s operations and impact in the period of July-December 2021,
15 December 2021 – Presentation of the EASO – MARRI Training Needs Analysis Report
The online event was organized by European Asylum Support Office – EASO and MARRI RC to present the Training Needs Analysis Report to the representatives of the Asylum Departments, and Reception Centres for Asylum Seekers of the MARRI Participants. The aim of the assessment was to identify training needs, and not only the training priorities, but also making an overview of the trainings conducted so far in order to avoid repetition of trainings that were conducted before. The document presents
23 – 24 November 2021 – Regional Meeting on Migration Statistics in the Western Balkans
Belgrade – In order to support the further alignment of MARRI Participants with Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Community Statistics on Migration and International Protection and facilitate the data exchange through WB-MIDEX, IOM under the auspices of the regional IPA II project “Regional Support to Protection Sensitive Migration Management in the Western Balkans and Turkey”, supported the authorities in the Western Balkans region to develop Road Maps on Migration Statistics that outline the current practices, challenges, and level of alignment with EU
17 November 2021 – 5th Steering Group Meeting of the PaCT Project
Zoom – The fifth session of the PaCT Steering Group gathered the MARRI Participants’ Anti-trafficking Coordinators, the PaCT project partners and an expert from GRETA to brief about the project progress and main achievements but also, to discuss the global trends in the trafficking in human beings and their implications in the Western Balkans region. Following the update on Participants’ priorities in the field of THB, representatives of Macedonian Young Lawyers Association, IFS – EMMAUS from Bosnia and Herzegovina and
11 – 12 November 2021 – Meeting of the Executive Heads of Border Police, Budva Montenegro
Budva – In anticipation of the high-level meeting with Frontex Management Board scheduled for 16th of November 2021, MARRI Participants’ delegations met to discuss their cooperation with Frontex regarding the issues of mutual interest. Specifically, the three thematic sessions of the meeting were dedicated to the legal and operational aspects of cooperation with Frontex; the exchange of information about the latest developments in the field of migration; and discussions on the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, including the
27 – 29 October 2021 – Regional Conference on Readmission in Ohrid, North Macedonia
Ohrid – Effective return, readmission and reintegration policies, in full respect of international law, were the main topic of discussion at the Regional Conference on Readmission, held on 27 – 29 October 2021 in Ohrid, Republic of North Macedonia. The Conference was co-organised by MARRI, Hilfswerk International and the partner organization Association for Help and Development HAJDE from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a three-day event in a hybrid format. On behalf of the MARRI Presidency-in-Office by North Macedonia, the Conference
Open call – Finance and Support Officer, MARRI Regional Centre
MARRI RC is announcing an open call for position of Finance and Support Officer. The selected candidate will be responsible for managing MARRI RC finances, pre-accounting and procurement but also, for the same of all projects implemented by the RC. The deadline for application is 12 November 2021. Terms of Reference
13 – 15 0ctober 2021 – Regional Conference on Gender Mainstreaming in Migration
Sarajevo – Women and men on the move face very different living conditions and circumstances, calling for gender-specific policies and measures to facilitate their journeys. To address this challenge, MARRI RC initiated the first Regional Conference on Gender Mainstreaming in Migration, happening in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 13 to 15 October 2021. The conference is co-hosted by the Gender Equality Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees with financial support from the Asylum,
5 October 2021 – MARRI RC – EASO Briefing
Skopje – The possibility of establishing a regional practitioners ’network on Country of Origin Information (COI) was the main topic of discussion during the meeting between the representatives of MARRI Regional Centre and European Asylum Support Office (EASO) which took place on 5 October 2021 at the premises of the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje. The activity in subject is part of the EASO – MARRI Project Workplan 2020 – 2021 (Activity 2.2.2.3), developed in the framework of the EU-funded
23-24 September 2021 – Support Group Meeting on Western Balkan Border Security Initiative (WBBSi)
Budva – The Integrative Internal Security Governance in the Western Balkans (IISG) held the Support Group Meeting for the third pillar – Western Balkan Border Security Initiative (WBBSi) on 23rd and 24th of September 2021, in a hybrid mode. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Agron Sojati, Head of the IISG Secretariat, Ms. Neli Rasovic, Representative of Montenegro to MARRI RC and Mr. Pawel Sliwinski, FRONTEX Team Leader for Western Balkans and Turkey. By bringing together participants from the six