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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

Berlin – The online Summit of Western Balkan Prime Ministers and the EU leaders, hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel took place on 5 July 2021, with the participants assessing the results of regional cooperation and defining the future steps in securing the democracy, prosperity and stability of the region and it future integration in Europe. Reflecting on the topic of migration, the participants of the meeting agreed that further joint response is needed but acknowledged MARRI’s efforts on the

Podgorica – The MARRI Regional Forum of Ministers of Interior/Security marked the end of MARRI Presidency-in-Office by Montenegro (June 2020 – June 2021) and the beginning of North Macedonia yearlong chairmanship over the Initiative. Along with the MARRI Participant’s delegations, the meeting was attended by representatives of international organisatons among which UNHCR, IOM, EASO, Frontex, RCC, IISG and GIZ.  As per usual, the Ministerial Forum provided an opportunity for MARRI Participants to discuss current and future activities of MARRI in

The discussions of the fourth (online) session of the PaCT Steering Group focused on developing approaches for enhancing the functionality of the National Referral Mechanisms (NRMs) as well as implementation of mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) measures in the reception centers and shelters for victims of trafficking in human beings. The discussions were based on the key findings of a research and expert assessments on above-mentioned topics, presented by GIZ Project team. The Steering Group contemplated the way forward