HWI completed the second operational meeting on strengthening the capacities of the Western Balkan authorities related to return

Hilfswerk International, in cooperation with the Joint Coordination Platform (JCP), has launched a second technical meeting aimed at monitoring the proposed activities of the authorities representatives responsible for return and readmission issues from the Western Balkans. On this occasion, from 12 to 13 May 2025, representatives from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia gathered in Budva (Montenegro) to discuss improving regional coordination and cooperation on capacity building in return and readmission processes.

The meeting will result in enhanced regional coordination while improving the understanding of national practices and shortcomings in return procedures. In this regard, the main focal points of the representatives from mentioned countries were identified for the further improvement of the operational coordination at the regional level.

Given the fact that authorities often face continuous challenges in implementing the return procedure for third-country nationals who do not have the right to legal residencey, the organized technical meeting provided participants with insight into possible solutions to the challenges; which most often include challenges related to operational complexity, procedural delays and organizational difficulties. This meeting also contributes to strengthening the operational dialogue between representatives of the authorities of the Western Balkan countries involved in return operations, followed with the development of an action plan for future capacity-building activities and operational improvements. The aforementioned activity will result in investing efforts in building and developing a regional coordination mechanism with the aim of maintaining and structuring the activities necessary for capacity-building related to return operations.

This operational meeting was organized as part of the project “Strengthening Migration Management, Asylum and Return Processes in the Western Balkans” financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Austria.

More about the project: https://hwi.ba/en/projects/refugees-migrants-displaced-persons/strengthening-migration-management-asylum-and-return-processes-in-the-western-balkans/22