Migration partnerships
Further EU support for violence and abuse in North Africa under discussion /// EU and UK consider joint external migration control projects /// European Union and African Union commit to “enhanced and reciprocal partnership for migration and mobility” /// Commission official on tour in Algeria and Morocco /// Africa Frontex Intelligence Community: documents released
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Further EU support for violence and abuse in North Africa under discussion
On 14 May the External Aspects of Asylum and Migration Working Party (EMWP) discussed developments on the “Central Mediterranean Route.”
A document circulated by the Polish Presidency (pdf) demonstrates that EU member states are well aware of the rampant rights abuses in the region. It refers to summary expulsions from Tunisia, after which “migrants may be sold to Libyan militias.” It also notes the Libyan Government of National Unity’s recent “inflammatory anti-migrant campaign” and forced closure of civil society organisations.
The Presidency nevertheless emphasises the need to “further cooperate with the relevant countries, including Libya and Tunisia” by finding ways to “overcome financial constraints.”
EU and UK: joint external migration control projects under consideration
May’s EU-UK summit was widely-reported as introducing a “reset” in EU-UK relations. Included in a new Security and Defence Partnership (pdf) was a statement that the two sides would “explore opportunities for cooperation in the external dimension of irregular migration, including addressing challenges such as transnational organised crime, trafficking of human beings and migrant smuggling."
Two paragraphs in the “Common Understanding” (pdf) released after the summit were devoted to the same topic. The document notes that there will be “increased mutual sharing of information of information, country expertise and analysis enabling better coordination.” It also points to closer cooperation in “multilateral fora, processes and dialogues,” with possible UK involvement in the Khartoum and Rabat processes mentioned specifically.
Increased law enforcement cooperation was also highlighted, including “through enhanced cooperation with Europol and its European Migrant Smuggling Centre.”
European Union and African Union commit to “enhanced and reciprocal partnership for migration and mobility”
Ministers from the EU and AU committed to more joint work on “migration and mobility” at their third summit on 21 May, though the statement (pdf) released following the summit contains few specific details on what this will mean in practice.
It does refer to “enhancing cooperation in matters of migration in the framework of the EU-AU Migration and Mobility Dialogue (MMD) and in coordination with AU Migration Organs/mechanisms including the African Migration Observatory in Morocco, the African Center for the Study and research on Migration in Mali and the Continental Operational Center in Sudan.”
Other specific initiatives referred to include the “Joint Valletta Action Plan, the Rabat Process, the Khartoum Process, the Continent-to-Continent Migration and Mobility Dialogue, as well as the Rome Process, the AU Horn of Africa Initiative, and the joint AU-EU-UN Tripartite Task Force.”
Commission official on tour in Algeria and Morocco
The Commission’s Director-General for the Middle East, Stefano Sannino, visited Algeria in late April and Morocco in mid-May. There is only one direct reference to migration, in the Commission’s statement regarding the visit to Algeria. However, both mention the EU’s forthcoming “Pact for the Mediterranean,” which is expected to focus on migration amongst a range of other policy areas.
Africa Frontex Intelligence Community: documents released
Documents have been published by Frontex in response to an access request, concerning the Africa-Frontex Intelligence Community (AFIC). The documents, which are substantially censored, include reports from a risk analysis training course in Spain, a workshop in The Gambia and monthly reports. Though they are not recent, they provide some insight into the type of work that takes place in the framework of AFIC.
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