THE EUROPEAN UNION EXTERNAL ACTION ON MIGRATION AND ASYLUM- THE 2016 MIGRATION PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK AND ITS OUTCOMES
Corresponding author:
[email protected]
Accepted
28 March 2026
Available Online
15 September 2017
Abstract
THIS PAPER FOCUSES O N THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) EXTERNALISATION OF MIGRATION AND ASYLUM POLICY. IN JU NE 2016, THE EUROPEA N COUNCIL ENDORSED T HE “MIGRATION FRAMEWORK PARTNERSHI P” (MPF), WHOSE PURP OSE IS TO ESTABLISH WIN-WIN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THIRD COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN AND TRANSIT OF MIGRANTS, PARTICU LARLY IN AFRICA, TO BETTER MANAGE MIGRAT ION. DESPITE SOME PO SITIVE STEPS FORWARD , THE MPF DOES NOT REPRESENT A REAL CHA NGE OF DIRECTION, BU T RATHER THE LAST EV IDENCE OF AN APPROAC H THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE E ND OF THE 1990’S. AS IN THE PAST, THE EU ACTION IS MAINLY CENTERED ON M EASURES AIMED TO CUR B IRREGULAR MIGRATIO NS, WHILE A COMPREHENSIVE AND CO HERENT STRATEGIC PER SPECTIVE IS STILL LA CKING. THIS PAPER ARGUES THAT, ONE YEA R AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THE MPF, TH E EU STRATEGY IS QUESTIONABLE. SO FAR , DATA SHOW THAT EU POLICY HAS NOT PR EVENTED MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES FROM ARRIVI NG TO EUROPE, NOR HA S IT INCREASED RETUR NS OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS. THE EU NEE DS TO REBALANCE MORE FAIRLY ITS RESPONSE TO MIGRATION, BY OPENING LEGAL MIGRATION CHANNELS AND INTRODUCING MONITORING MECHANISMS BOTH TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF ITS ACTION AND TO EN SURE FULL COMPLIANCE WITH HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS.
Keywords
EUROPEAN UNION – MIGRATION – ASYLUM – MIGRATION PARTNERSHIP
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