Overview

• Foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia joined EU partners including France, Austria, Greece, Italy and others for the Hillsborough Castle session.
• The UK committed £10 million from the Integrated Security Fund for migration-focused projects such as law-enforcement training in Kosovo, stronger border security and support for trafficking victims in Serbia.
• A separate £4 million initiative will reinforce cyber defences and share expertise to counter disinformation and Russian hybrid threats in the region.
• The Foreign Office said it is increasing migration-focused staffing to identify targets under the UK sanctions regime against people-smugglers and to advance returns negotiations, noting close to 22,000 transited the Western Balkans route last year.
• Officials told POLITICO that discussions on potential migration ‘return hubs’ would take place informally, with Kosovo under consideration, though no agreement has been reached.