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
Migration
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
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
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
Three lessons from Europe’s response to Ukrainian migration
Europe’s response to Ukrainian migration has shown the benefits of a humane approach towards refugees. It should set a precedent for a more compassionate European migration policy
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)
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
Articles
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
Three lessons from Europe’s response to Ukrainian migration
Europe’s response to Ukrainian migration has shown the benefits of a humane approach towards refugees. It should set a precedent for a more compassionate European migration policy
Migration first: Why Italy and Britain are working together on sea crossings
Italian efforts to formally enhance bilateral relations with other European states have largely faltered. This time may be different
Rerouting goodwill: The risks of diverting aid from Africa to Europe
European countries risk undermining their Africa strategies if they continue to neglect the numerous crises on the continent and divert aid to Europe
The moment to choose: How migration politics could damage the Meloni government’s EU credentials
The Meloni government has largely adopted a ‘Russia-pragmatic’ approach to its EU and Ukraine policies. But pressure over migration within the coalition could harm relations with other European states
Structured approach: How the EU can prepare itself for the next wave of migration
Migration is first and foremost a structural problem, yet the EU persists in responding to it as an emergency. Now is the time to change course
This time is different: Spain, Morocco, and weaponised migration
By weaponising migration in Ceuta to advance its Western Sahara claim, Morocco has made several major mistakes. Spain is part of an EU that is not in a joking mood on irregular migration blackmail
Events
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
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)
8 Nov
Migration crisis on the EU Eastern border: how the EU can protect borders and human rights
Since summer 2021, Poland and Lithuania have been confronted with an unprecedented action by the Lukashenko regime, which aims to exert political pressure on both…
In the media
The migration compact needs to be further developed and we need to take further steps to develop third country [non-EU] asylum centres
Karoline Edtstadler says the EU needs to develop its migration policy and have asylum centres outside the bloc
The Mattei Plan goes beyond migration concerns, potentially representing a fundamental change in Europe’s approach to Africa
Europeans see that many people are coming here, even though they don’t have a title. And they are growing frustrated, leading them into the arms of dangerous populists
Mireia Faro on the Rwanda Bill and the externalisation of EU migration policies