Countries
Albania / Kosovo* / Serbia / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Montenegro / North Macedonia
Status
Ongoing
Duty Stations
Skopje, North Macedonia
Duration
15.06.2025
to
15.06.2029
Donors
European Union
Partners
Consortium of European Union Member States (led by the Government of the Netherlands, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Romania, Slovenia, and Sweden) and International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD); International Organization for Migration (IOM); The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX); Joint Coordination Platform (JCP). All partners implement complementary return-related initiatives in the Western Balkans, following a Joint Roadmap to ensure coherence, avoid overlaps, and strengthen return and readmission systems in line with EU and international standards.
Implementing Agency
The Netherlands (Ministry of Justice and Security/Repatriation and Departure Service) – lead implementing partner ; ICMPD - implementing partner
Funding
5.000.000 EUR
Summary
The Joint Action supports Western Balkan partners to operationalise return management systems in line with EU standards. Aligned with the EU Enlargement Policy, the EU Action Plan for the Western Balkans, and the IPA III Programming Framework, it aims to strengthen capacities for rights-based and effective return operations, enhance cooperation on return, readmission, and reintegration with key countries of origin, and improve access to information and support for migrants before and after return.
Objectives
- Strengthen the Western Balkan authorities’ institutional systems and capacities to conduct effective and rights-based return operations.
- Strengthen cooperation on return, readmission and reintegration between the Western Balkan partners and countries of origin.
- Increase access for migrants in the Western Balkans to pre- and post-return and reintegration information and assistance.