On 23rd of May 2012 at the Palace "Serbia," the Commissioner for Refugees in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration organized the public presentation of the Migration Profile of the Republic of Serbia for the year 2010 and the Manual on the Protection of Human Rights of Migrants in the Republic of Serbia. The presentation was attended by over 60 representatives of state institutions participating in the work of the Coordinating Body for the monitoring and management of migration, embassy representatives from the European Union, representatives of international organizations, civil society and the media.

The opening remarks were delivered by the Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Vladimir Cucic, the Head of the Political Section of the EU Delegation in Serbia Mr. Thomas Gnocchi and the Head of Mission of the International Organization for Migration in Serbia Mr. Gregoire Gudstin.

The Commissioner emphasized that this is the first time that the state alone produces Migration Profile and reminded those present that, with this document, the obligations defined through the roadmap for visa liberalization had been fulfilled. The Migration Profile was developed through the efforts exerted by the  Republic of Serbia in cooperation with her institutions, and serves as an instrument for the creation of migration policies at all levels.

The Head of the Political Section of the EU Delegation in Serbia Mr. Thomas Gnocchi congratulated the representatives of the Commissariat for Refugees and other state agencies on а job well done and commended the combined efforts undertaken in the field of migration. He made mention of the fact that Serbia will await the definition of further commitments within this area following the opening of negotiations for EU membership.

The Head of Mission of the International Organization for Migration  Mr. Gregoire Gudstin stated that the intent of the Migration Profile is to provide an insight into the overall data and statistics within the field of migration and to contribute to the formulation of  better policies. He noted  that the Manual is intended for state and local government officials directly involved in the management of different types of  migrants.

The Migration Profile and Manual are the result of the project, "Strengthening the capacity of  institutions of Serbia responsible for migration management and the reintegration of returnees," funded by the European Union through the Instruments for Pre-Accession Assistance, and jointly implemented by the Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration. The total project cost is 2 million euros of which the European Union has provided 1,800,000, the  International Organization for Migration 150,000 euros, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic through its embassy in Serbia 15,000 euros.

This project is supports the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Serbia in its  implementation of the Strategy for the management of migration in line with the EU acquis and the strengthening of institutional capacities at both the central and local levels in migration management.