In Albania, access to territory and procedures improved in 2015 with over 100 asylum applications received. UNHCR systematically supported the Directorate for Asylum (DFA) to facilitate determination procedures. Border and Migration Police (BMP) pre-screened irregular migrants to establish their intentions to ask for asylum in Albania. While return of irregular migrants (mostly to Greece) continued throughout 2015, persons seeking asylum in Albania were granted access to territory. The office conducted regular border monitoring missions and strengthened relations with BMP, with regular exchange of information as well as basic preparedness measures to face to a possible influx. A total of 482 Iranian asylum-seekers were relocated from Iraq, bringing the number of this caseload in Albania to 821 by the end of the year.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 23 of 46 asylum applicants in 2015 applied from immigration detention. Following court and Ombudsman interventions, all were released. Eleven refugees were resettled during the year. UNHCR supported Government efforts to plan for new arrivals through: sponsorship of a Government study visit to Serbia, creation of a UNHCR-led UN group on refugees and migrants, and organizing UN info-sharing meeting with Government actors and donors. Three trainings for border officials were delivered and UNHCR also submitted comments on the draft Law on Asylum.
In Kosovo (S/RES/1244 (1999)), UNHCR advocated for the quality of decision making, efficiency of status determination procedures and improvement of reception conditions with particular focus on people with special needs, including children and victims of violence. UNHCR contributed to development of seven sub-legal acts and facilitated 17 capacity-building events were 286 individuals benefitted. UNHCR monitored reception and detentions facilities and conditions. Two asylum-seekers were granted subsidiary protection. All 70 asylum-seekers benefited from legal aid counselling and psychosocial counselling.
Implementation of UNHCR two pronged strategy in Serbia in regard to the unpresented emergency situation, has contributed towards ensuring access to territory and asylum procedure to persons in need of international protection, improved reception conditions, enhancing registration and documentation. In addition, it strengthened the response of relevant institutions to the needs of transiting refugees and migrants, while advocating for the development of asylum system and contributing to the reform of asylum legislation initiated within the framework of the EU accession process.
Following intensive advocacy and intervention in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, crucial amendments to the asylum legislation were adopted in June 2015 providing protection coverage to thousands of refugees/migrants at the point of entry and inside the country. It ended smuggling, detention and security incidents. The influx created a substantial burden on the limited asylum and migration framework, dependant on the critical support of UNHCR and its partners 24/7 to ensure basic registration, information, legal, social, and humanitarian assistance needs.
Some 900 of a total of 1,611 asylum-seekers in Montenegro were provided assistance through the Government-established reception system. UNHCR provided clothes, hygiene items and material for occupational workshops for some 500 asylum-seekers accommodated in the asylum centre. Psychosocial support was provided to 146 asylum-seekers. Nine people with granted protection were supported in local integration. Services from the established pool of on-call interpreters (for English, French and Arabic language) were available. 65 border monitoring visits conducted.