Western Balkans route

Migration situation on the Western Balkans route

The Western Balkans are at the heart of Europe, geographically surrounded by EU member states. The region is a transit hub and key corridor for migrants heading for the EU, especially from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The Western Balkans route refers to irregular arrivals in the EU through the region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

The Western Balkans route is one of the main migratory paths into Europe. After the record number of arrivals in the European Union in 2015, the number of irregular migrants choosing this route fell steadily for a few years. However, since 2019 it has started to pick up again.

Many irregular migrants reaching the EU via the Western Balkans route, move from the EU member state in which they first arrived to another EU country. This results in high numbers of detections of irregular migrants and asylum applications in Europe.

EU action to tackle the Western Balkans migration route

All the partners in the region have a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU that sets the overall framework for their relations with the EU.

The EU has taken a number of measures to tackle the migration situation on the Western Balkans route.

On 5 December 2022, the European Commission presented an EU action plan on the Western Balkans. The plan identifies a series of operational measures to strengthen the partnership with the Western Balkans, in light of their unique status with EU accession perspective and their continued efforts to align with the EU standards, as well as key actions to take inside the EU.

The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the means by which the EU has been supporting reforms in the enlargement region with financial and technical assistance.

Migration challenges in the Western Balkans are addressed with the support of the IPA III funds, designed for the period 2021-2027.

• Action Plan for cooperation with Western Balkans to address common challenges (European Commission)
• Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (European Commission)

Border management agreements

Frontex deploys specialised officers and border surveillance vehicles and other equipment in Hungary and Croatia, the EU countries most affected by the migratory flows on the Western Balkans route. 

At the same time, Frontex can carry out deployments and joint operations in the Western Balkans region, subject to the prior conclusion of a status agreement between the European Union and the partners concerned.

Status agreements with Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are currently in force. The agreement with North Macedonia was signed in October 2022 but is not yet in force.

An enhanced agreement with Montenegro, which will replace the one currently in force, was signed on 16 May 2023 and will be provisionally applied from July 2023.

The EU is currently negotiating enhanced agreements with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia to reflect the new Frontex mandate.

The new agreements will allow the agency to assist these partners in their efforts to manage migratory flows, counter irregular immigration and tackle cross border crime throughout their territory. They will also allow Frontex staff to exercise executive powers, such as border checks and the registration of persons.

• Border management: Council authorises the opening of negotiations with four Western Balkans partners on Frontex cooperation (press release, 18 November 2022)
• Council will sign agreement with Montenegro on Frontex cooperation (press release, 15 May 2023)

Alignment with EU visa policy

The Western Balkans region should ensure visa policy alignment with the EU lists of visa-required third countries, in particular as regards those third countries which present irregular migration or security risks for the EU.

At the Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs held from 3 to 4 November 2022, the Western Balkan partners committed to swiftly aligning their visa policy with the visa policy of the EU. This included a specific commitment by Serbia and Montenegro to end several visa-free regimes by the end of 2022.

Additionally, the EU and the Western Balkan partners highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation with relevant airlines as well as with countries of origin on the issue of migration.

These measures are crucial in order to address the abuses that are currently impacting the migration and asylum systems of many EU member states, and for the overall effective functioning and sustainability of the visa-free regimes between the Western Balkans and the EU.

• Joint press statement EU - Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs (Tirana, 3-4 November 2022)

Support on asylum and reception

The EU works closely with the Western Balkan partners on all areas of migration management to develop and align their systems with EU standards.

Apart from assisting the region in border management, the EU therefore supports the Western Balkan partners in developing effective migration management systems, including strengthened asylum procedures, additional reception facilities and further efforts in relation to voluntary and non-voluntary returns, in accordance with EU rules.

Through this support, the EU wishes to ensure that the Western Balkans partners:

• are equipped, as possible future EU member states, to respond constructively to the shared migration challenges
• assume responsibility and ownership for all aspects of migration

There is also a need to increase cooperation on re-admission of irregular migrants with the countries of origin, in line with international and EU standards.

Cooperation on returns

An effective and humane return policy is an integral part of a comprehensive migration and asylum policy. Cooperation with third countries on return and re-admission is a crucial aspect of the whole return process. Return is not possible without the cooperation of the country of origin.

The EU cooperates very actively with the non-EU countries of origin of irregular migrants, in particular through re-admission agreements and arrangements. They set out clear obligations and procedures for the authorities as to when and how to readmit people who do not fulfil the conditions for entry into the EU or who are irregularly residing in the EU.

All Western Balkans partners, with the exception of Kosovo*, have concluded re-admission agreements with the EU, and have regular joint meetings with the EU to assess re-admission cooperation. These agreements also include a so-called third country nationals clause, which obliges Western Balkans partners to readmit third country nationals who transited through their territory before arriving in the EU.

At the Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs of 3-4 November 2022, ministers agreed that cooperation on re-admission and return should be intensified.

Combating migrant smuggling

Migrant smuggling is a crime that exposes migrants to life-threatening risks. The EU has taken decisive measures to fight criminal networks which exploit vulnerable migrants, in particular through the European multi-disciplinary platform against criminal threats (EMPACT).

EMPACT supports investigations against migrant smuggling in the Western Balkans, for example by providing translation and interpreter services to carry out interviews with both smuggled migrants and smugglers.

In addition, EMPACT supports the capacity building of Western Balkans partners in detecting and investigating document fraud.

In 2022, the EU and the Western Balkans partners launched a regional Anti-Smuggling Operational Partnership, to:

• strengthen law enforcement and judicial cooperation against criminal smuggling networks
• increase the border management capacity of Western Balkans

• EU fight against crime (background information)

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.