Jahorina, Bosnia and Hercegovina - The way forward will be reflected through short- and medium-term activities to operationalize the commitments of the Skopje Declaration commitments to address smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings, increase access to alternative pathways for migrants in protracted transit situation and work towards a holistic return management approach.

Minister of the Interior of Montenegro, Filip Adžić, emphasized at Sarajevo’s dialogue on migration the importance of a regional approach, as well as the improvement of cooperation in addressing challenges faced by the Western Balkans in the management of migration. He also highlighted the results that Montenegro achieved in the previous period:

• Adopted report on the implementation of the Strategy on Migration and reintegration of returnees in Montenegro for the period 2021- 2025.
• International cooperation in achieving readmission agreements, as per long-standing recommendation from the European Commission.  
• Launched an initiative for negotiations and agreement between Montenegro and United Arab Emirates on readmission. 
• Defined category of digital nomads to who are enabled by the Law on Amendments to the Law on Foreigners to apply for temporary residence permit.
• Mobilization of all available resources to accommodate people from Ukraine and solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
• Extended decision on granting temporary protection for Ukrainian nationals.
• Dedicated to the continuous strengthening of the fight against smuggling and the network of smugglers as well as the improvement of mechanism aimed at preventing human trafficking.

Mr. Adzic stated that Montenegro will continue to work with same awareness in the following period in order to contribute to a more efficient and management of migration and hope that by the next Sarajevo Migration Dialogue Montenegro will at least have done as much as succeeded so far.

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For more information, please contact Ivana Ban, email: iban@iom.int