Ohrid, 27 October 2021 (MIA) – Effective policies for return, readmission and reintegration of migrants fully abiding by international law and standards are the central aspects of good management of migration, which was also the main topic for discussion at the regional conference on readmission and fight against irregular migration in the Western Balkans, held Wednesday in Ohrid. The Ohrid forum aims at bringing together relevant stakeholders for readmission and raising awareness on issues, challenges and novel ways present in the region, sharing experiences and good practices, especially in providing legal foundation (readmission agreements or engagements) and its implementation, as well as strengthening of cooperation with relevant bodies from the origin countries of migrants, mainly the countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. “The need for joint cooperation regarding return and readmission has been recognized by all relevant foreign partners, which should be welcomed. Additional support is needed to initiate talks and sign readmission agreements with origin countries as well as support to implement them,” Magdalena Nestorovska, Interior Ministry secretary general, said in a keynote address. Readmission and return at this point are probably two key issues causing both interest and concern in terms of security, according to Suzana Jasarevic, Hilfswerk International regional director. “It’s also a challenge that requires strong regional cooperation that is yet to be established,” she said adding that the support of the Joint Coordination Platform (JCP) and Austria’s Federal Ministry of Interior is appreciated in the development of regional dialogue and regional capacities aimed at creating stronger return and readmission policies. Since about 500,000 irregular migrants in Europe have been ordered to return to their homelands, the issue of readmission is more urgent now than ever, said Sashko Kocev, director of the Migration Asylum Refugee Regional Initiative (MARRI) Regional Center. The three-day conference in Ohrid is the second in a series of events to raise awareness, co-organized by MARRI, Hilfswerk International and the Hajde Association for Help and Development from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Meetings take place as part of the project on reducing irregular migration in the EU by capacity building of migration-related structures in the Western Balkans, co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Interior.