Brussels, 28 November 2023 (MIA) - In an interview with MIA in Brussels, Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski revealed that attempted illegal crossings of Macedonian borders decrease by 50% this year compared to last year. Furthermore, there has been a noteworthy 50% increase in the efficiency of detecting migrant smuggling.

Minister Spasovski highlighted that North Macedonia is the only country in the region with such impressive results, effectively managing and tackling illegal migration.

Spasovski took part in the International Conference on a Global Alliance to counter migrant smuggling at the European Commission in Brussels on Tuesday.

"Over the past ten years, our ongoing efforts have focused on tackling illegal migration, combating the trafficking of migrants, and inevitably cracking down on organized criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling. Preventing illegal migration and migrant trafficking stands as a primary focus in our work at the Ministry of Interior. This phenomenon imposes significant security risks, not only in the region but also across Europe," highlighted Spasovski, who addressed the session “Response to Migrant Smuggling” at the conference.

He said that in his remarks, he placed special emphasis on the operational effectiveness of the agreement with Frontex. Members of Frontex, working in coordination with the Macedonian police, practically carry out joint operations at our southern border, where more than 95% of migrant entry attempts into the country occur.

"A small percentage, around 3 to 4 percent, enter through the northern border, and this happens consistently. There is a specific group of migrants who use this route, returning to Greece and then re-entering Europe to conceal their country of entry," Spasovski noted.

He also shared our experience in establishing a special National Agency, namely the Unit for Combating Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking. Working in collaboration with the Border Affairs Department, it monitors situations and proactively acts in suppressing migration, migrant smuggling, and, of course, human trafficking.

"Seeking innovative approaches to combat this type of crime was identified as a top priority. It is precisely for this reason that we established this unit. Furthermore, via a range of projects, notably IPA projects financed by European funds, we have achieved improvements not only in the mobility and training of our workforce but also in the modernization of equipment, particularly utilized by the Border Police Department," Spasovski said.

Photo: MIA/MIA archive