Balkans | Good cooperation with partners from the Western Balkans and the European Union is the key to success in the region.

North Macedonian Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski said good cooperation with partners from Western Balkan countries and the European Union is the key to success in the region.

Interior Minister Oliver Spasovsky delivered a speech at the ministerial session on “Promoting the Skopje Declaration for Sustainable Migration Management in the Western Balkans” at the third conference organized by the International Organization for Migration within the framework of the Sarajevo Dialogue on Migration.

Emphasizing that the three commitments contained in the Skopje Declaration led to the adoption of the Action Plan for Sustainable Migration Management in the Western Balkans, Spasovsky continued:

“Effective border management and prevention of smuggling of migrants on the Western Balkan route is one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia. Migrant smuggling has been a constant threat over the past year due to border pressures from illegal crossings of people from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The link is considered Between the eastern Mediterranean and the western Balkans is a perilous route as Turkey and Greece still have large numbers of migrants on their lands.”

Confident that strengthening Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration programs can significantly increase the return rate, Spasovsky expressed confidence in raising awareness of Assisted Voluntary Return as a humane, effective and sustainable way to repatriate illegal immigrants.