Migration: Moving away from containment

In the blatant absence of better ideas, and against the backdrop of irreconcilable interests, the approach of?the European Union and its member states to migration and asylum is increasingly focusing on the externalisation of their management and on the returns?of all those people who do not qualify for protection. This means asking the EU's neighbouring country, such as Turkey, Libya, Tunisia or other African countries to control and stop migrants' movements to Europe.?

But?this approach based on containment is not only morally questionable, it is also short-sighted?and doomed to fail, as it ignore the complexity of the phenomenon and the manifold interests and motivations of all the actors involved: the migrants, the countries of origin and transit, and even the European Union member states' authentic interest in receiving migrants.

With this dossier , the Progressive Post wants to look at the shortcomings of current European and national policies. It underlines that, unfortunately, the prospects of current negotiations and the difficulty of finding common ground among EU member states do not give much hope for an improvement towards more solidarity and more humane treatment of migrants, and for the badly needed opening of new legal pathways.

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Asylum for containment: the bankruptcy of conditionality ?

For two decades, Europe has tried to contain migrants and refugees in neighbouring countries. The situation in Tunisia is merely the most recent 'crisis' that shows that this approach is bankrupt. Long-term, formalised and unconditional support addressing the concerns of Europe's neighbours will also better serve Europe's interests.?Read more

Article written by Thomas Spijkerboer , Professor of migration law at the Amsterdam Centre for Migration and Refugee Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)

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On migration, Europe's fixation with returns does not work?

Forcing undocumented migrants to leave the EU has become one of the key pillars of how the EU manages migration at its borders and within its territory. The underlying assumption is that more and quicker returns will deter people from coming to Europe, will help 'fight irregular migration' and will make everything more efficient. But this assumption is starting to show deep cracks.?Read more

Article written by Michele LeVoy, Director of Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) , and Marta Gionco , Advocacy Officer at Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)

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An approach that moves in circles

One year before the end of the European legislative term, the EU must still find a synthesis between its member states’ different interests in migration. Yet, this synthesis is far from being achieved. In addition, every policy that is based on the current approach is doomed to failure, because it does not look beyond the limited horizon of short-term and questionable goals, like protecting borders from migrants.?Read more

Article written by? Hedwig Giusto , Editor-in-chief of the Progressive Post and FEPS Senior Research Fellow

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POLICY BRIEFS

The EU asylum system in the wake of the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis

These?two policy briefs analyse the positive – as well as negative – lessons learned from the management of large flows of refugees escaping the war in the Eastern European countries and its potential impact on the Pact on Asylum and Migration.?

War in Ukraine, refugees, inclusion and human mobility:?The challenges for a progressive EU policy?

An analysis of the main EU decisions on the reception and integration of Ukrainian refugees, with reference to the decision to activate the?Temporary Protection Directive.?Read more.

This policy brief was written by andrea stocchiero , Senior researcher at the? CeSPI - Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale

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The EU asylum system in the aftermath of the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis

Analysing initial responses to the Ukraine refugee influx and taking stock of the evolution of the situation, this policy brief goes over current and potential legal responses in order to?improve the outcome of the current migratory phenomenon.?Read more.

This policy brief was written by Anna Ferro , Expert and international consultant on migration?at CeSPI - Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale

This dossier was published in the Progressive Post

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