Practice Areas

Background
The International Organization for Migration – IOM – was established on 5 December 1951, in Brussels, Belgium by the Treaty of Brussels to deal with the migration and resettlement of displaced persons in Europe after the Second World War. IOM is the leading international intergovernmental organization dealing with migration. Its objective is to ensure, throughout the world, the orderly migration of persons in need of international migration assistance. IOM is composed of 120 Members, including Albania and 89 observers, including 19 States. Since its creation, IOM has assisted more than 11 million individuals worldwide, including 9.9 million refugees and 1.1 million national migrants. IOM Mission is present in Albania since 1992.

Mandate
As the leading international organization for migration, IOM Mission in Albania, together with its partners assists the Albanian Government in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management in line with EU integration process, advances understanding of migration issues and increases awareness about informed migration. IOM provides assistance to victims of trafficking and promote prevention of trafficking in persons in schools through its anti-trafficking programmes. The Mission encourages the country’s economic development through channeling of remittances and reintegration of voluntary returned migrants ensuring their human dignity and well being through the full implementation of the National Strategy for Migration and its Action Plan.

Programme Areas:

Migration Management
Assistance for the implementation of the Readmission Agreement
In the framework of Readmission Agreement between Albania and the European Community, entered into force on May 1, 2006, IOM supports the Government of Albania to fully and successfully implement obligations under the Agreement, including the provisions for the return of third country nationals, coming into force by 2008.
In this context, IOM provided support to the Albanian Authorities in capacity building and sharing of best practices in readmission negotiation and implementation as well as strengthening of reintegration mechanisms for returning Albanian migrants.
IOM further implements public information activities and awareness campaigns aiming at promoting safe migration and prevention of human trafficking in line with EU requirements for informed and orderly migration.

Counter-trafficking
IOM supports the Government of Albania in setting and maintaining international standards in protection of victims of trafficking and prevention of Human Trafficking in Albania. In collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental partners, IOM provides direct assistance to victims of trafficking, while strengthening capacities of these institutions to develop and implement counter trafficking policies and programs. The counter trafficking programs developed by IOM Tirana work not only in identification and awareness raising and addressing the needs of the affected groups, but also contribute in the development of the coordination and collaboration resources to combat the phenomenon of trafficking in all its harming curbs and aspects.

Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration (VARRP)
The Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) is a programme for return and reintegration assistance for Albanian migrants from the United Kingdom wishing to return to their home country voluntarily. Since 2002, IOM has assisted over 400 returned migrants providing support to facilitate their return and reintegration in their home country. Training courses are offered in order to enable beneficiaries to increase their employability. Assistance in job placement is guaranteed through negotiations with enterprises and business partners, whilst support to minors’ education includes school fees, books and other studying-related material. Even though both minors and adults ask for assistance to re-enter the country, young people are the most interested in applying with the majority of clients being in the age of 20-31 years old.

Migration and Development
Enhancing the impact of migrant remittances in Albania: Creating an integrated migrant remittance system
IOM is working to put in place national interagency working groups on remittances, which will formulate a draft action plan on enhancing the impact of remittances. Albanian embassies and consulates and Albanian migrants associations in Italy and Greece will be provided training on improving communications with Albanian migrants and on raising awareness of the opportunities for formal remittance transfers and investment in Albania. Market research to be carried out in two target areas of Albania will also help in the creation of a set of measures and mechanisms aimed at facilitating the investment of remittances for income generating activities which in turn would promote local, regional and national economic development.