Friday, 14.06.2024.
‘Step by step’ for STrEngthening Regional Partnerships for ComBating Irregular Migration through CYbercrime STrongEr Prevention in the Western Balkan
The STEP BY STEP project addresses the escalating security risks posed by the use of high technology by organized crime groups for smuggling of migrants. By fostering strong regional partnerships between civil society organizations from the Western Balkans and with their European Union counterparts and public authorities, the project aims to combat regional organized crime, enhance cyber security, and bolster human security. Additionally, it strives to influence Western Balkan countries to enforce EU standards, enhancing the capacities of organizations to impact policies and monitor the performance of relevant institutions, especially in the realm of security policy.
Lead Applicant: Association “Vaša prava BiH” – Legal Aid Network, BiH
Implementing Partners: Građanska alijansa / Civic Alliance, Montenegro
Grupa 484 / Group 484, Serbia
Donor: SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Society in the Western Balkans regional project implemented by Centar za promociju civilnog društva (CPCD), Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) and Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) and financially supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA).
The project consists of three key activity clusters:
1. Capacity building activities of CSOs and law enforcement– include field research, three regional training courses and developing a mobile application.
2. Advocacy activities for improvement of the legal framework to facilitate regional cooperation in cases of smuggling of migrants with the use of ICT and the protection of smuggled migrants – involve conducting research on the legal framework, participating in relevant national public discussions and organising a regional conference.
3. Public awareness-raising activities – include a social media campaign and cooperation with media, with the aim to raise the level of understanding of the social danger from the use of ICT, the consequences and risk of organized crime groups who are active in the region, the risks for smuggled migrants and criminal liability for helping migrants to use smuggling services.
TARGET GROUPS
· CSOs active in the fields of security, human rights, migration, child protection, and human trafficking
· Relevant institutions in the Western Balkan countries
· Relevant international and regional organisations, initiatives, and cooperation frameworks
· The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia
· Media
The final beneficiaries will be migrants, especially smuggled ones, passing and staying in SRB, MNE and BiH, as well as migrants hosted in other countries of the Western Balkan.