Establishment of an early warning information sharing network along the migration route from Greece to Hungary and Croatia (2015 - 2016)
Geographical coverage: Greece, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Albania, Kosovo*, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Duration: October 2015 – November 2016
Donor: State Secretariat for Migration of the Swiss Confederation
Status: Completed
Summary: The overall objective of IOM initiative is to contribute to the ongoing efforts of the Governments of Greece, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, as well as Albania, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary, in addressing the emergency situation through the establishment of an Information Sharing Network that ensures the provision of key information on the nature and scale of flows, while ensuring a strong focus on the specific needs of migrants. The scope of the Early Warning Information Sharing Network, starting from the affected Greek islands and extending throughout the Balkan Route to Hungary and Croatia, is to coordinate the management of mixed migration flows by the Border Police and other relevant national authorities, as well as the delivery of emergency assistance that is best catered to address the specific vulnerabilities of the greatest number of beneficiaries. In this context, the Network will serve to streamline a range of activities and operations, in order to manage the mixed flows and to enable the provision of urgent assistance to migrants in transit, avoiding duplications and ensuring cost effectiveness. Furthermore, the Network serves as an early warning system to monitor possible changes in the routes taken by migrants to cross the Western Balkans, allowing Countries to promptly react and ensure adequate assistance to those arriving at their borders. At the initial stage the Information Sharing Network will involve the abovementioned countries, with the objective that when flows reach the target countries, authorities in the country enjoy an enhanced awareness of the nature, composition and scale, and are thus in a position to provide tailored assistance that responds to the vulnerabilities identified. Furthermore, the information will flow upstream as well, in order to send feedback from Hungary and Croatia, to Serbia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. This will allow states to receive holistic information on the Balkan route migration flows, enabling them to have a better overview of current trends, and track flows in a holistic manner. In order to ensure comprehensive and real-time data gathering, analysis, and dissemination, the Network operates on a 24 hour basis along the so far most transited route, i.e. Greece, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Croatia.
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