North Macedonia’s government and the British Embassy have dismissed media reports suggesting that Skopje is negotiating to host migrant centers for rejected asylum seekers, amid a political dispute between the ruling SDSM and opposition VMRO-DPMNE.
The British Embassy in Skopje emphasized on social media that the two countries maintain a strategic partnership aimed at deepening political, economic, and security cooperation. The partnership, established following a May meeting between North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, includes joint government-to-government agreements on infrastructure projects and cooperation on migration management.
“The essence of this strategic partnership lies in investment, economic growth, police cooperation, combatting organized crime, and intelligence sharing,” Ambassador Matthew Lawson said in May, denying claims that the agreement involved accepting UK migrants.
SDSM seized on the reports to accuse VMRO-DPMNE of spreading “false narratives” for political gain. “The British Embassy confirmed cooperation with the Macedonian government on migration. Who is lying now?” the party asked in a statement, referring to opposition claims that Skopje might host migrant centers.
VMRO-DPMNE, in turn, rejected the allegations, saying North Macedonia has no plans to host migrant facilities. The party framed the reports as politically motivated, linking them to what it described as SDSM’s past mismanagement during the 2015-2016 migrant crisis, when the country functioned as a transit zone for asylum seekers.
Analysis from migration experts highlights the political sensitivity of such reports. While North Macedonia has engaged in preliminary discussions with the UK, the focus remains on policing, intelligence sharing, and border security, not on long-term settlement of migrants. “Any scheme to redirect rejected asylum seekers involves complex legal and logistical challenges, and Macedonia’s participation is limited to collaborative security measures,” said Robert Bates, director at the Center for Migration Control.
The debate comes amid growing concern in Europe over migration flows across the Channel, with 39,292 migrants crossing by small boats to the UK so far this year, up 17% from 2024. London has reportedly targeted Western Balkan countries for cooperation due to their strategic location and existing commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The dispute illustrates the increasingly politicized nature of migration issues in North Macedonia, where opposition and ruling parties are leveraging the topic to shape domestic narratives ahead of key political events.