Minister Matoz attends trilateral meeting on migration management and cross-border cooperation in Pordenone

The ministers discussed the situation regarding migration flows in the Western Balkans, the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum (the Pact), and how to further strengthen cooperation between the law enforcement authorities of the three countries.

During their discussion of the situation in the Western Balkans, the ministers focused on harmonising the region's visa regimes with the European Union’s visa policy, the activities of Frontex, and combating human trafficking.

Minister Matoz emphasised that the challenges posed by migration require a coordinated European response and close cooperation between the countries along the Western Balkans route. He stressed the importance of implementing the Pact, particularly with regard to the effective management of border procedures, the prompt return of persons who do not fulfil the entry or residence requirements, and the consistent registration of persons in the Eurodac system. "Slovenia is experiencing an increase in irregular migration. We therefore emphasise the need for consistent registration in the Eurodac system, as this is the only way to determine which country was the country of entry and to ensure that all countries take up their share of responsibility," he said.

Minister Matoz emphasised that Slovenia expects Italy to lift the controls it is carrying out at the internal border with Slovenia as soon as possible. He recalled that Slovenia had lifted controls at its internal borders with Croatia and Hungary immediately after the current government took office. "Today, all three countries agreed to resume trilateral patrols at the European Union’s external border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia with immediate effect," he said.

A significant part of the meeting was also devoted to cross-border police cooperation. Slovenia presented its joint police patrol activities with Croatia and Italy and the work of the ZeBRa 2 operational working group, which brings police forces together to prevent and investigate migrant smuggling.

Once again, the trilateral format has proved to be a constructive platform for finding joint solutions to tackle shared migration challenges. "This very concrete exchange of information will be of real benefit to us in planning our future work," Minister Matoz concluded at a press conference following the trilateral meeting.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Franci Matoz held a separate discussion with his Italian counterpart, Matteo Piantedosi. They discussed cooperation between Slovenia and Italy on home affairs, focusing particularly on cross-border police cooperation and the situation on their shared border. Minister Matoz stated that cooperation between the Slovenian and Italian police forces, as well as between the police attachés, is strong. He emphasised the importance of information exchange for detecting organised crime and preventing irregular migration, and expressed his hope that this kind of cooperation would be further strengthened.

Since 2023, the trilateral meetings between the Ministers of the Interior of Slovenia, Italy and Croatia have provided an important forum for coordinating joint activities in the fields of internal security, migration management, and combating cross-border crime.