Wednesday, 25.11.2020.
About the project “Security for human beings and borders-combating smuggling of migrants in the Western Balkans”
The Western Balkans (WB) continued to be a transit route for irregular migrants trying to reach Western Europe from Turkey. Migrants cross the borders illegally, mainly by using alternative methods and routes as well as smuggling services provided by individuals and organized criminal groups. Smuggled migrants are vulnerable to different forms of crime, especially the most vulnerable among them (women, children, unaccompanied minors): violence, rape, theft, kidnapping, extortion and trafficking in persons. Although deaths along the WB route are relatively rare, they do occur.
Smuggling of migrants (SoM) is continuously among the main topics in EU Progress Reports for WB countries. Bearing in mind that it is a cross border phenomenon, the WB states need regional response to this common problem and one of the main objectives should be enchancing regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations in the WB through the development of a unified regional response to migrant smuggling.
The project “Security for human beings and borders-combating smuggling of migrants in the Western Balkans” was developed as a regional response of 7 CSOs (Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC); Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Civic Alliance from Montenegro (GAMN); Civil Rights Program Kosovo*1 (CRP/K); Macedonian Young Lawyers Association (MYLA), Vaša prava Bosnia and Herzegovina (VP BiH) and Danish Refugee Council DRC) to the burning common problem along the Western Balkans Migration Route – smuggling of migrants. The Action will engage 90 CSOs in the process of developing a ‘protection-sensitive’ practice and the legislative and policy framework for suppressing migrant smuggling in the WB countries. They will be empowered to develop and implement national projects aimed at preventing migrant smuggling and providing services to smuggled migrants while developing cooperation with state bodies, the media and the academia. The Action will contribute to the development of the comprehensive regional protection-sensitive migration management, based on multi-dimensional partnership.
More details about the project find here Information_note
