Leaders from six Western Balkan nations converged in London on October 22, 2025, for a high-stakes summit with British and European officials, tackling the intertwined challenges of migration, security, and economic growth in a region where old scars and new threats intersect. The meeting, hosted at the stately Lancaster House, brought together delegations from Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz among the prominent figures in attendance, according to the Associated Press.
This summit forms part of the Berlin Process, an initiative launched in 2014 to keep southeastern European countries moving toward European Union membership. While Croatia achieved this milestone in 2013, its neighbors’ progress has stalled, hampered by political discord and unresolved tensions—particularly between Serbia and Kosovo. Kosovo, a former Serbian province, declared independence in 2008, but Belgrade still refuses to recognize its sovereignty, a sticking point that continues to complicate regional cooperation and EU accession efforts.
Yet, the mood in Brussels has shifted in recent years. The European Union’s openness to new members has grown considerably since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The war has sharpened concerns that Moscow’s confrontation with the West could spill over into the Balkans, a region still haunted by memories of its own violent conflicts in the 1990s. As reported by the Associated Press, Western officials worry that Russia is seeking to expand its influence in southeastern Europe, exploiting instability and divisions for its own strategic gain.
Despite its own departure from the EU in 2020, the United Kingdom is hosting this year’s annual Berlin Process summit, underscoring its ongoing interest in the region’s stability and prosperity. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s center-left government has made clear its priorities: tackling the drug trade, strengthening Western Balkan defenses against Russian interference, and—perhaps most urgently—curbing unauthorized migration. "There’s a criminal route through the Western Balkans bringing illegal migrants to the U.K., and we’re determined to shut it down by working with European partners," Starmer said, as quoted by the Associated Press.
Migration has become a flashpoint for both domestic and international politics. Gangs have smuggled hundreds of thousands of people to the EU via the Western Balkans in recent years. British authorities estimate that a quarter of migrants reaching the U.K. in small boats across the English Channel have traveled through this region. The flow has put enormous pressure on border controls and stoked political debates in London and beyond about how best to manage migration while upholding humanitarian obligations.
In response, Britain has ramped up its efforts on multiple fronts. The U.K. has forged a joint task force with Albania, targeting the root causes of migration through local projects and a returns agreement. These measures have delivered striking results, reducing the number of Albanian migrants attempting to reach the U.K. from 12,000 in 2022 to a projected 600 in 2024, according to government figures cited by the Associated Press. British law enforcement officers have also been dispatched to the region to collaborate with the EU border agency, Frontex, aiming to disrupt smuggling networks before they reach Western Europe.
But the British government is not stopping there. On the day of the summit, the U.K. imposed fresh sanctions on several Balkan criminal gangs and financiers accused of facilitating people smuggling. Those sanctioned include members of the Kosovo-based Krasniqi forgery network and ALPA Trading FZCO, a company alleged to bankroll people-smuggling operations. The sanctions bar these individuals and entities from traveling to Britain or accessing the U.K. financial system, a move intended to disrupt the economic underpinnings of the illicit trade.
One of the more controversial proposals on the table involves the creation of "return hubs"—facilities in third countries where rejected asylum seekers could be held temporarily until they can be deported. The U.K. is seeking partner countries willing to host these hubs, but the idea has met with stiff resistance. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was unequivocal in his rejection, stating at the Chatham House think tank on October 21, 2025, "When it comes to the hubs, or whatever they are called, I’ve said it, and I repeat—never in Albania." Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajic echoed this reluctance, noting that his country is "not part of the migrant routes through the Balkans" due to its underdeveloped railway infrastructure. Still, Spajic left the door slightly ajar, suggesting Montenegro might consider hosting a return hub if Britain were willing to "invest 10 billion euros into building railways."
These positions highlight the delicate balancing act facing Western Balkan leaders. On one hand, they are eager to demonstrate their commitment to European norms and values, hoping to advance their stalled EU membership bids. On the other, they face domestic pressures and practical constraints that make some of London’s proposals politically toxic or logistically unfeasible. The Associated Press reports that both Albania and Montenegro are deeply wary of becoming holding grounds for migrants rejected by wealthier Western countries.
The broader context of the summit cannot be ignored. The Western Balkans remain a geopolitical crossroads, where the interests of the EU, Russia, and local actors collide. The region’s history of ethnic conflict, fragile institutions, and economic challenges creates fertile ground for both criminal enterprises and foreign meddling. The Berlin Process, for all its lofty goals, has struggled to deliver concrete progress, as evidenced by the slow pace of EU integration and the persistence of unresolved disputes.
Still, the London summit offered a platform for dialogue and cooperation, however incremental. The presence of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European diplomats signaled continued continental engagement. For the U.K., the event was an opportunity to project influence beyond the EU, reaffirm its commitment to European security, and demonstrate practical leadership on issues that resonate with voters at home.
As the summit concluded, there was little expectation of dramatic breakthroughs. Yet, in a region where history often moves in fits and starts, even modest steps toward greater coordination on migration, security, and economic development can matter. The stakes are high—not just for the Western Balkans, but for the wider European project and the stability of the continent as a whole.
In the end, the London talks underscored both the promise and the perils of regional cooperation, leaving leaders with much to ponder as they return to capitals still grappling with the legacies of the past and the uncertainties of the future.
