IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix published its Montenegro Migration Data and Routes Quarterly Report for January through March 2026 on ReliefWeb, opening the country's quarterly data cycle for the year.

DTM tracks population mobility globally through field enumerators and key informant interviews. In Montenegro, the operation records arrivals, transit movements, route usage, demographic breakdowns, and reception facility data. The quarterly format gives three-month snapshots, which let analysts compare the same quarter across years and track within-year shifts.

This Q1 2026 edition covers January, February, and March. Winter months in the Western Balkans typically show lower overall movement than spring and summer, but transit through established paths between Greece, North Macedonia, and Albania continues throughout the year.

The full report, hosted on ReliefWeb, contains the underlying numbers, route descriptions, and methodology notes. Practitioners, researchers, and journalists should consult the official publication for specific figures.

What does the report cover?

The quarterly series reports on five data streams:

• Monthly arrival and transit figures, broken down by nationality where sample sizes allow
• Route descriptions, including shifts in commonly used paths
• Demographic profiles of people in transit, including age and gender
• Capacity and occupancy of reception facilities
• Intended next destinations as reported by respondents

The format follows DTM's global methodology, so Montenegro's data can be compared directly with reports from neighbouring states.

Why Montenegro's data matters

Montenegro sits on a corridor used by people moving north from Greece toward Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU territory. Its monitoring data intersects with trends in Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania. Analysts often treat quarterly DTM outputs across the region as a single system rather than isolated country reports.

The Western Balkans receive significant EU policy attention because several routes bypass the formal asylum systems of Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia. Quarterly route data informs planning on reception capacity, voluntary return programmes, and bilateral cooperation.

How to use the Q1 release

ReliefWeb hosts the full Montenegro Migration Data and Routes Quarterly Report (January – March 2026) alongside previous editions. DTM also publishes methodological notes on its global site.

Researchers and journalists following regional migration should treat the Q1 report as the 2026 baseline and compare later quarters against it. The figures for January, February, and March set the reference points for the rest of the year.

The report supports operational planning by IOM Montenegro, the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Ministry of Interior, and partner agencies including UNHCR, the IOM regional office for the Western Balkans, and the Red Cross of Montenegro.

For all underlying numbers, route maps, and methodological detail, readers should refer to the official publication hosted on ReliefWeb.