| Author (Person) | Barana, Luca, Toaldo, Mattia |
|---|---|
| Publisher | European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) |
| Series Title | Commentary |
| Series Details | 08.12.16 |
| Publication Date | 08/12/2016 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog, News |
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The European Union is not helpless in the face of migration flows from sub-Saharan Africa. Here is how it can act. After the closure of the Balkans route, the ‘new/old frontier’ of the European Union’s migration policy is the Africa and central Mediterranean route that passes through Libya. Europe faces a longstanding challenge here. The question concerns how to manage flows which: have consistently been above 150,000 per year in the last three years; are mostly composed of migrants rather than refugees; stem from dozens of countries of origin; and have no prospect of winding down in the coming decade given the absence of a vigorous, coordinated European policy. The EU is not completely unprepared for this, and several policies have been implemented in the year since the Valletta summit in November 2015. Ultimately, while a lot has been done in the last 12 months, the main goal and the main rationale supported by the vast majority of EU member states is to contain the flows to Europe by funding countries of origin and transit so that migrants stop there rather than cross the Mediterranean. But the EU and its member states need to be more ambitious in their goals by managing flows and stimulating growth and mobility beyond the typical development aid approach. This memo aims to explore what has been done so far while also proposing new policies which the EU should adopt. |
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| Source Link | http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_eus_migration_policy_in_africa_five_ways_forward |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Africa, Europe |
