European and African perspectives on asylum and migration policy: Seeking common ground

Introduction

The European Commission is currently finalizing its proposed New Pact on Migration and Asylum to re-start the debate on how to reform the common European asylum system and manage immigration from non-EU countries. One prominent concern is the ‘external dimension’: jointly managing migration to Europe with countries of origin and transit. By cooperating with countries of origin and transit across a wide range of policy areas, the EU and its member states may reduce irregular migration to Europe without undermining their humanitarian principles and impairing bilateral relations, which the present emphasis on securitizing the external EU border risks doing.

In this 2020 MEDAM Assessment Report, we explore how European and African governments can reach common ground on jointly managing migration from Africa to Europe.