The meeting attended Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Xhelal Sveçla, the ambassador of Switzerland in Kosovo, Mr. Thomas Kollly, head of IOM in Kosovo, Mrs. Anna Rostocka, representatives of the Kosovo Police, as well as partner organizations in Kosovo.

At the opening of the conference, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Xhelal Sveçla first thanked the state and the people of Switzerland for continuous support provided to the country and the institutions of Kosovo over the years. He said that Switzerland has been and remains among our main partners towards the development of our state and the improvement of the quality of life of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo.

"Migration remains a challenge for the state of Kosovo, region and beyond. Various developments, especially wars and conflicts, force the departure and migration from different countries of the world, the people who move through the Western Balkans region. Therefore, our priority has been and remains the prevention of irregular migration, fighting the criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling, as well as expanding the infrastructure and improving services for the reception, accommodation and dignified treatment of migrants and applicants for international protection" underlined Minister Sveçla.

Minister Sveçla pointed out that the project being launched today is important in fulfilling our objectives in the field of migration. The expansion of capacities and infrastructure for the reception and treatment of migrants, which is part of this project, reflects our priorities and state policies for: management of migratory movements, as well as the treatment of migrants according to international standards and international principles for the protection of human rights, etc.

The overall objective of this project is to contribute to the improvement of migration governance, based on comprehensive evidence and to maximize the potential of migration to achieve concrete results of sustainable development.

The value of the project is 2.1 million Swiss francs and is financed by the Swiss Confederation and will be implemented by the migration organization IOM.