23 Jun
Defence without America? What Europeans are (and aren’t) ready for
Days before a high-stakes NATO summit, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosts to a timely webinar on European public attitudes towards Europe’s defence,…
Migration
5 Jun
Shifting Powers: the evolving US-China presence amid the growing role of Russia in Africa
As Africa becomes an increasingly central arena for Russia’s interests, the role of the United States and China is undergoing significant transformation. With Trump’s return…
Why the EU should pay attention to Italy’s and Albania’s migration gamble
Albania’s and Italy’s unique model of migration management has not had the intended effect. European countries must disregard it as a blueprint for future policies and work towards a more cohesive, people-oriented solution
How European leaders can support sustainable refugee returns in a post-Assad Syria
A rise in right-wing agendas in European politics is colliding with post-Assad refugee dilemmas for Syrians and the region. European leaders must navigate domestic pressures to support Syria’s transition in a constructive way and ensure voluntary, sustainable returns
Touching the void: Human rights in foreign policy under Trump 2.0
Donald Trump’s second presidential administration is imminent. The European Union should prioritise international collaboration to challenge America’s likely hardline approach to human rights
Tusk’s asylum coup: Breaking away from populist narratives
Donald Tusk’s announcement of a temporary suspension of the right to asylum is primarily a PR move that will yield limited impact in Poland. But it may encourage the EU to rethink the unsustainable current asylum system
The point of no return: Why the EU must not send Syrians refugees back
European leaders are debating how to increase Syrian refugee returns. But rather than pushing for deportations, the bloc should focus on addressing security concerns and improving economic conditions inside Syria to encourage voluntary returns
Strategic aid: How the EU-Lebanon migration deal can work
To effectively deter migration to Europe, the EU’s €1 billion aid package to Lebanon must require that Beirut address its deep political and economic troubles
7 May
European Elections and beyond: Crafting Europe’s new geopolitical agenda
Amid a volatile geopolitical environment, ECFR’s recent public opinion poll ahead of the European elections shows that a geopolitical case for Europe resonates with voters,…
A cautionary tale: Why the UK’s Rwanda bill is doomed for political failure
Finally passed into law, the UK’s bill to process migrants in Rwanda has been a political disaster. European governments should remember that not only does such a policy not work to deter migration, it will politically damage any party that adopts it
Publications
The Maghreb maze: Harmonising divergent European policies in North Africa
The Maghreb policies of the four most influential EU member states are diverging – but this fragmentation hinders the EU’s long-term interests in the region
Road to nowhere: Why Europe’s border externalisation is a dead end
Europeans need to stop handing control of their borders to southern Mediterranean states. Instead, they should pursue measures that tie the short-term imperative to reduce irregular migration to longer-term strategies that lessen the need for people to migrate in the first place
From aid to inclusion: A better way to help Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
Europeans should adopt a new approach to supporting Syrian refugees – one that would also benefit host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
All at sea: Europe’s crisis of solidarity on migration
The European Union’s approach to migration has created a crisis of solidarity
False moves: Migration and development aid
Europe should not confuse development aid’s role in reducing forced migration with that of reducing migration more broadly
Border games: Has Spain found an answer to the populist challenge on migration?
Spain, and Europe, need a new story about migration – it remains to be seen how the country will put this into practice
The displacement dilemma: Should Europe help Syrian refugees return home?
Introduction After eight years of fighting and destruction resulting in the largest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time, the government of Bashar al-Assad…
Luck like the Irish: How emigration can be good for the Western Balkans
Introduction Few parts of Europe are more marked by emigration than the Western Balkans.[1] Yet despite many decades of its people leaving…
Pushing the boundaries: How to create more effective migration cooperation across the Mediterranean
Introduction As the European Union strives to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean, its policymakers have repeatedly identified North Africa as key to…
When the weapons fall silent: Reconciliation in Sinjar after ISIS
Hundreds of thousands of displaced persons in Sinjar are attempting to rebuild their lives after the brutal reign of ISIS
Articles
Why the EU should pay attention to Italy’s and Albania’s migration gamble
Albania’s and Italy’s unique model of migration management has not had the intended effect. European countries must disregard it as a blueprint for future policies and work towards a more cohesive, people-oriented solution
How European leaders can support sustainable refugee returns in a post-Assad Syria
A rise in right-wing agendas in European politics is colliding with post-Assad refugee dilemmas for Syrians and the region. European leaders must navigate domestic pressures to support Syria’s transition in a constructive way and ensure voluntary, sustainable returns
Touching the void: Human rights in foreign policy under Trump 2.0
Donald Trump’s second presidential administration is imminent. The European Union should prioritise international collaboration to challenge America’s likely hardline approach to human rights
Tusk’s asylum coup: Breaking away from populist narratives
Donald Tusk’s announcement of a temporary suspension of the right to asylum is primarily a PR move that will yield limited impact in Poland. But it may encourage the EU to rethink the unsustainable current asylum system
The point of no return: Why the EU must not send Syrians refugees back
European leaders are debating how to increase Syrian refugee returns. But rather than pushing for deportations, the bloc should focus on addressing security concerns and improving economic conditions inside Syria to encourage voluntary returns
Strategic aid: How the EU-Lebanon migration deal can work
To effectively deter migration to Europe, the EU’s €1 billion aid package to Lebanon must require that Beirut address its deep political and economic troubles
A cautionary tale: Why the UK’s Rwanda bill is doomed for political failure
Finally passed into law, the UK’s bill to process migrants in Rwanda has been a political disaster. European governments should remember that not only does such a policy not work to deter migration, it will politically damage any party that adopts it
Depopulation blues: How immigration can counter emigration in the Balkans
To tackle the political and economic challenges posed by shrinking populations, Balkan governments need to approach immigration as an opportunity, rethinking their policies and political messaging
Aid with reform: How the EU-Egypt deal can succeed
The EU should release funding to Cairo only if it undertakes following meaningful economic reforms
Fear and fatigue: Why anti-migrant sentiment in Europe helps Russia
To ensure sustainable support for Ukrainian refugees, Europeans need to find ways to overcome anxieties about other migrant groups
Specials
Migration through the Mediterranean: Mapping the EU response
The Mediterranean and migration: Postcards from a ‘crisis’ Since 2014, European citizens have been engaged in an intensifying discussion about migration. This is the result…
Podcasts
Immigration, identity, and Europe: Lessons from post-Brexit Britain
Mark Leonard welcomes Sunder Katwala to discuss integration and identity in the UK
System failure: The causes of humanitarian crises
Humanitarian crises in places like Afghanistan, Yemen or Ethiopia are not only a reflection of internal turmoil – but mirror a much grander development: system failure
The Age of Unpeace: Therapy for internationalists | Session 2 with Parag Khanna
Join us on this journey to a more therapeutic approach to international relations. The mini-series brings you five episodes with guests including today’s Parag Khanna, Thomas Wright, and Anne Marie Slaughter
Syria’s war, Europe’s problem
What does the re-engagement of regional actors mean for the future of Syria? And what role can Europe play to create breathing space in the country?
How migration became a weapon: the Belarus-Polish border crisis
What is coercive engineered migration? And what would be the best way for the EU to respond to Minsk’s tactics?
Understanding the conflict in Western Sahara
What is the Western Sahara conflict is all about, and how will the most recent developments between Morocco and Spain influence this conflict?
Asylums, migrants or refugees : an explanation of the refugee crisis
Podcast du vendredi 29 avril 2016 sur la crise des réfugiés avec Angeliki Dimitriadi, Visiting Fellow à l'ECFR et Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, Directeur du bureau de l'ECFR…
Refugee crisis: which future for “welfare Europe”?
Quatrième podcast de la série consacrée à la crise des réfugiés. Tara Varma, coordinatrice du bureau de Paris de l'ECFR, discute avec Bassma Kodmani,…
Refugee crisis: what are the EU’s prerogatives towards its member states ?
Troisième podcast de la série consacrée à la crise des réfugiés. Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, directeur du bureau de Paris de l'ECFR, discute avec Sylvain…
Supporting host countries in the region: a silver bullet for the refugee crisis?
ECFR speaks to humanitarian expert and former UNHCR representative Kilian Kleinschmidt about how EU countries can actively help solve the refugee crisis and how…
Events
23 Jun
Defence without America? What Europeans are (and aren’t) ready for
Days before a high-stakes NATO summit, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosts to a timely webinar on European public attitudes towards Europe’s defence,…
5 Jun
Shifting Powers: the evolving US-China presence amid the growing role of Russia in Africa
As Africa becomes an increasingly central arena for Russia’s interests, the role of the United States and China is undergoing significant transformation. With Trump’s return…
7 May
European Elections and beyond: Crafting Europe’s new geopolitical agenda
Amid a volatile geopolitical environment, ECFR’s recent public opinion poll ahead of the European elections shows that a geopolitical case for Europe resonates with voters,…
20 Mar
European elections: what do voters really think?
A new opinion poll and four-part strategy on how mainstream parties can campaign to resonate with pro-European voters
21 Feb
The externalization of Europe’s borders: the only solution?
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
30 Nov
Uninterrupted support: What Ukraine needs from the EU in the Long War
Ahead of the European Council in December where accession talks with Ukraine are expected to be opened, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is…
25 Oct
Global Gateway Africa – Geopolitica, investimenti e prospettive per l’Italia
L’evento si concentrerà su come Il settore privato costituisca una componente fondamentale per l’attuazione del Global Gateway e sulle opportunità che questo può rappresentare
28 Jun
Building Connections: A 2024 Mediterranean Agenda for the Next European Commission
Expert workshop on a new Mediterranean agenda for the EU, organized by the Rome office of ECFR and the Regional Program Political Dialogue South Mediterranean of the Konrad-Adenauer- Stiftung (KAS PolDiMed)
30 Mar
Europe and the refugee crisis: what needs to be done
What instruments does the EU have at its disposal to address the challenges related to the crisis? And what are the lessons learned from the refugee crisis in 2015?
22 Mar
La Hora de la Sociedad Civil: Un Diálogo Transatlántico sobre Venezuela
Este debate fue una iniciativa del Foro Cívico, de la Oficina en Washington para Asuntos Latinoamericanos (WOLA), el Open Society Foundations (OSF) y el European…
In the media
To avoid slipping into irrelevance, the European Union urgently needs to reformulate its approach to demographic change
The Policy Brief “Markets, Migrants, Microchips: European Power in a World of Changing Demographics” by Alberto Rizzi mentioned in Adnkronos article
The goal has been to reduce all incentives to come to Denmark
Kelly Petillo on the US announcement on deportations to Libya and the impact for European migration policy