The Head of IOM in North Macedonia, Sonja Bozinovska Petrushevska met with the Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Jovanka Trenchevska to discuss the current cooperation and future plans.

IOM representatives informed about the activities undertaken in the area of migrant assistance, support for effective reintegration of vulnerable returnees, the fight against trafficking in human beings and other areas within the IOM mandate.

Minister Trenchevska emphasized the role of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy as a coordinator of the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings (NRM) which is a framework for cooperation and coordinated approach among the social services, police and NGOs and stressed the role of the social work professionals within the Centres for Social Work who are part of mobile teams for identification of victims of trafficking. "Mobile teams for prevention of human trafficking are a positive example and a good practice that is accepted by other countries in the region. They are the first link and the first point where the support for victims of trafficking begins", said Trenchevska.

The interlocutors expressed a desire to deepen the cooperation in the strategic and technical implementation of the Resolution on Migration Policy adopted by the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, preparation and implementation of other strategic documents, capacity building, implementation of activities for further alignment with the EU and international standards and more.