Sarajevo, 21 March 2014

Opening Ceremony of the Joint Centre for Police Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) wishes to announce the opening ceremony of the Joint Centre for Police Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. The Joint Centre opening ceremony will be held on 24 March at 14:00 in Trebinje, on the premises of the Border Police Unit of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stepe Stepanovića 2 Street (former barracks).

The following senior officials will officially open the Joint Centre:

• Mr. Vinko Dumančić, Director of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
• Mr. Vesko Vukadinović, Assistant Director of the Police Directorate of the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro,
• Mr. Nenad Banović, Head of the Border Police Directorate of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia,
• Mrs. Christine McNeill, Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
• Mr. Stefano Stucci, First Secretary and Deputy Italian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and
• Mr. Gianluca Rocco – IOM Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Western Balkans.

Other senior officials from BH and the region will also attend the event.

We wish to invite representatives of the media to attend this event.

Trebinje, 24 March 2014 (Monday) at 14:00

Premises of the BH State Border Police Unit

Stepe Stepanovića Street 2 (former barracks)

The Joint Centre has been established as part of the project “Building the Capacities of Law Enforcement Officials to Implement Activities at a Police Cooperation Centre” financed by the British Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the IOM Development Fund.

The establishment of the Centre will contribute to the development of regional police cooperation in the fight against illegal migration and trafficking in human beings and similar illegal activities linked to cross-border crime. This is the first such Centre to be established in the Western Balkans region.

The Joint Centre for Police Cooperation has been established replicating the model widely used in EU member states. The Centre will become fully operational after the opening ceremony and will allow law enforcement agencies to exchange information more quickly, which will lead to more adequate and faster actions, an efficient identification system, and fight against cross-border crime in accordance with Schengen standards, thus creating a structure representing a practical precondition in the process of integration with the EU. By participating in the Joint Centre for Police Cooperation, the countries involved will also improve regional cooperation and by doing so demonstrate their commitment to moving one step closer to fulfilling conditions from Chapter 23 of the EU acquis.

Border police officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia who will be deployed to the Centre have attended a specialised training program prepared in close cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Interior. The specialised training program also included a study visit to the existing EU Police and Customs Cooperation Centre in Tarvisio – Thorl Maglern, as well as advanced training in Trebinje.

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The global economic crisis, as well as political instability, are having a significant effect on the nature of migration flows in the region, resulting in an increased number of irregular migrants from extra-regional countries of origin, who transit, and frequently are apprehended in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, as well as those from countries of the region, who are intending to enter EU member states.

Without the strengthening of existing regional cooperation and the introduction of new mechanisms, the borders of the EU in the Western Balkans region could become a highly porous entry point, which would place and additional burden on the law enforcement agencies.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Montenegro and Serbia and the entire region of Southeast Europe remain an important transit route for irregular migrants and illegal smuggling of goods, people, drugs, arms, and stolen vehicles. The capacities of state agencies in Southeast Europe exist, but could be additionally strengthened through enhanced regional cooperation and information exchange.

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Contact person:

Edita Selimbegović, PR - International Organization for Migration – Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tel: +387 (0)33 293-713 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting Fax: +387 (0)33 293-726 Mob: +387 (0)61 215-839 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting