Albania has recently signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, which represents an important step forward on Albania's EU path. The country now faces the challenge of successfully implementing the SAA, which requires a very ambitious political, administrative and economic reform. The Albanian Government has placed the EU integration high on its agenda and set a list of priorities also in the area of Justice and Home Affairs that are being reflected in the Action Plan for the Implementation of Association and Stabilization Agreement. These priorities (for the period 2006 – 2009) highlight the need for improvement of administrative and financial capacities for the implementation of the migration and asylum legislation, and in particular for the implementation of the national strategies and corresponding action plans. In this context, it is clear that focus needs to be placed on the implementation of the National Strategy on Migration (including provisions on readmission), which could help Albania on its way to approximation to EU standards in the field of migration and asylum.

With the support and funding of the European Commission (CARDS 2004 program), IOM Tirana will implement an intervention aimed at fostering the implementation of the National Strategy on Migration through the provision of technical assistance and expertise to the Government of Albania.

The direct beneficiaries of this action will be:

• Officials in ministries responsible for the implementation of the National Action Plan on Migration.
• The Directorate for Migration Policies within the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (MOLSAEO).
• The National Employment Service (NES) within MOLSAEO.
• The Albanian diplomatic service in Italy, Greece, UK, Belgium, Germany.
• National Institute of Diaspora.
• Directorate for Border and Migration, in the Ministry of Interior.
• Migrant families in Albania, migrant communities and Albanian Diaspora in Italy and Greece.

Indirect beneficiary of this action will be the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration while the final beneficiary will be the Government of Albania responsible for the implementation of the National Strategy on Migration.

This project starts in October 2007.