Monday, 04.07.2022.
We continue to strengthen response to combating migrant smuggling in the Western Balkans
National trainings on the prevention of smuggling of migrants, that were designed for representatives of the ministries for interior, Public prosecution offices (PPOs), the reception centers for asylum seekers and migrants, as well as for the representatives of relevant civil society organizations (CSOs), were conducted in Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia. The trainings were delivered by representatives of ministries of interior, PPOs and CSOs, that previously attended and successfully completed two regional trainings for the trainers in Serbia.
The objective of the trainings is to strengthen the existing and acquire new practical knowledge and skills in the fight against smuggling of migrants and protection of the human rights of smuggled migrants. The main goals of the trainings are development of a unified national response to the challenges of migrant smuggling and setting the building blocks for a common regional approach for the whole assemble of actors working in preventing and combating the phenomenon of migrant smuggling. Trainings were practical oriented, with the unique methodology that was developed in the cooperation of the Group 484 and international expert Ms. Barbara Sidoti. The training materials have been developed based on real cases from the WB region and the concept of training is based on case-based investigation simulation. In the following months the national trainings based on the same methodology will be conducted in Serbia, Kosovo* and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The trainings are part of the regional project “Security for Human Beings and Borders – Combating Smuggling of Migrants in the Western Balkans”, supported by European Commission. The project was developed as regional response of 7 CSOs affiliated in the Balkan Refugee and Migration Council (BRMC) and the Danish Refugee Council. BRMC members are Albanian Helsinki Committee, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Civic Alliance from Montenegro, Civil Rights Program Kosovo*[1], Group 484, Macedonian Young Lawyers Association and Vaša prava Bosnia and Herzegovina.
[1] * This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo* Declaration of Independence.
