June 4.

My first official working day after the Vienna seminar. Packed with enthusiasm from the Vienna experience, I decided to start with what should be the most difficult institution to contact in the Macedonian part of the investigation- The Ministry of Internal Affairs.
I called expecting to set an appointment in two weeks or so. Amazingly, I got to the person I was looking for only after talking to one secretary and listening to one “please wait” music recording. The kind voice on the other side, said that we could meet in two hours if that is all right with me.

?!?!

All of a sudden, I found myself confused from that answer. Expecting to hear “Call again in September”, I was taken aback and in a position to be the one that will try to delay the meeting since I wasn’t even properly prepared with questions.

But I decided to took up the challenge since it is a real precedent in Macedonian journalism to reach a state institution so easily. I walked to the Ministry thinking that something has gone terribly wrong with my country while I was away in the “Balkan of the EU” – Austria.

I had an excellent briefing at the Ministry. They were pretty candid as to how bad the situation with trafficking is and what the Ministry is doing about it. Listening about all the successful police actions and arrests, cross- border and regional cooperation and legislative, I left the office with a smirk on my face thinking we are not as bad as the guys in Brussels think.

As I was leaving the Ministry yard, I ran into an acquaintance of mine – a police officer I hadn’t seen in a long time. Without asking him, he started explaining how the network for illegal crossing works. Forged passport, 5000 Euros, comfortable airplane ride to the desired destination, a person waiting for you on the “other side” (EU side) and voila – you have just entered the EU illegally!!

Oh, yes… And it is all facilitated and in cooperation with the airport police.

I felt strangely relieved. After all, nothing has changed here… in years.