A strong example of this work is our engagement in North Macedonia, where it supported UNHCR North Macedonia in strengthening national training capacity on international refugee law. In Skopje, the Department developed and delivered training modules for the Bar Association of North Macedonia, the Macedonian Young Lawyers’ Association, and the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors. These sessions covered core refugee law principles and their application in domestic asylum procedures and before regional courts, including the European Court of Human Rights. Designed as foundational modules, this support helped establish a basis for recurring, institution-led training.

A further example is the Department’s regional engagement in the Western Balkans, supporting the development of training modules on smuggling of migrants in mixed migration flows, as well as migration and human rights. This initiative targets government trainers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, with a focus on migration academies and other national training bodies. As part of this effort, the Department contributes to a regional Training of Trainers hosted at the Migration Training Centre in Plandište, Serbia, strengthening sustainable national training capacity across the region. This work is carried out under the MIRCO project (“Strengthening regional cooperation on migration management between the Western Balkans and neighbouring EU Member States in accordance with EU acquis and international standards”), funded by the European Union and managed by the Swedish Migration Agency.