Western Balkans Conference in Brussels EC CARDS Regional Programme on Asylum, Migration, and Visa
28 November 2005
Western Balkans Conference in Brussels EC CARDS Regional Programme on Asylum, Migration, and Visa
On 14 December 2005, high level government representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro will be attending a closing conference of a two-year Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development, and Stabilization Programme (CARDS) on Establishment of EU compatible legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks in the fields of asylum, migration, and visa matters.
The project was funded by the Directorate General Enlargement of the European Commission and implemented by the Swedish Migration Board in cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – for asylum, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – for migration, and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) – for visa. Over the last two years the project has assisted the governments of the Western Balkan countries in taking further steps towards full alignment of their legislations, institutional structures, and procedures in the areas of visa, migration, and asylum with EU standards in a regionally compatible way.
The Swedish Migration Board is hosting the closing conference of the project in Brussels. The conference will bring together high level representatives from the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs from each of the Western Balkan countries. The conference will also include publication of a “Roadmap on Integrated Asylum, Migration and Visa Management in the Western Balkans”.
The conference will be facilitated by Director General of the Swedish Migration Board and contributions from representatives of the Directorate General Enlargement as well as from the Directorate General Justice, Liberty, and Security of the European Commission are expected. Senior representatives from the implementing partners UNHCR, IOM, and ICMPD will discuss the results of the project.
The conference is being held at Bibliotheque Solvey in Parc Leopold in Brussels. Interviews with participants of the conference are possible upon request.
For more information please contact:
Project Director Anders Westerberg
+ 46 768 569 569
anders.westerberg@migrationsverket.se
Deputy Project Director Mathilde Skovdal
+ 46 708 600 785