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GENERAL INFORMATION

The Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI) was formed in 2003 within the context of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe by merging the Regional Return Initiative - RRI and the Migration and Asylum Initiative - MAI. Since July 2004 this initiative is under regional ownership. Since 2004, MARRI came to function through two mechanisms: the MARRI Regional Forum - providing political and framework support to the Initiative and the MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje - carrying out practical cooperation and activities of MARRI and supporting the implementation of the decisions reached by the Regional Forum.

The objective of MARRI and its Centre is to contribute to the orderly and free movement of people in the interest of security and prosperity, covering the following areas:

•   Migration
•   Asylum
•   Integrated Border Management
•   Visa Policy and Consular Cooperation
•   Return/settlement of refugees/displaced persons

MARRI is governed by its six MARRI Member States (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia), who meet twice a year at the MARRI Regional Forum.

The first MARRI Regional Forum on asylum, migration and sustainable return in the context of the SEECP took place in Herceg-Novi, Montenegro on 5 April 2004, where it was decided to establish a MARRI Regional Centre in Skopje. The MARRI Member States have expressed their readiness for the ongoing processes in this field, as shown by the transfer of MARRI under regional ownership. The overall idea was that the Western Balkan countries take ownership of the initiatives within the regional cooperation in order to prove the capability of the countries in the region to cooperate on their own, to align their own policies and to contribute to the development, stabilisation and improvement of the situation in the region.

Migration Profile

The aim of this Migration Profile is to highlight information in six MARRI Member States