Workshop on Operational Improvements to Combat Irregular Migration, Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants in Albania

In December 2000 the Albanian Ministry of Public Order requested IOM to prepare an internal capacity-building workshop focusing on irregular migration through Albania and to result in concrete actions for GoA and IOM follow-up. The workshop was organized around three key areas of concern to GoA: (1) border management; (2) information management; and (3) interagency cooperation. Participants included the Immigration Department or Border Management Directors who, through a series of expert presentations and discussions, were assisted in identifying a set of operational "best practices" in combating illegal migration, migrant smuggling and trafficking. There was a strong emphasis on identifying realistic and attainable methods of operational cooperation and developing synergies with existing programmes of training, cooperation and information exchange. The workshop was an initial Albania action within the IOM Regional Migration Management Assessment and Improvement Programme (REMMASI), and was anticipated to lead to longer-term cooperative actions within that framework.