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On Monday August 28th, French President Emmanuel Macron summoned a mini-summit about migration. This has been an occasion for some actors of this European and African phenomenon to give a clear picture of progresses reached since the Valletta Summit of November 2015.
It echoes the Fifth progress report on the Partnership Framework on Migration, that was just published.
The reaffirmation of a commitment to joint action
Whereas the migrant crisis remains a major issue of European politics, heads of the state from Chad, France, Germany, Italy, Libya, Niger and Spain and the high Representative for the European Union, Federica Mogherini, met in Paris. Their objective : to take a statement about successes and failures of the Euro-African cooperation in the field of the migratory flux management.
Despite the recognition of the efforts made, it appeared clear to the participants that new tools had to be implemented to reduce “the root causes of migration in the long-term” and fight its consequences.
Financial tools to be completed
After the Valletta Summit was created the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. Provided with 2,64 billion euro, it already financed 118 programs that aim to foster economic growth, political and peace stability in the countries of transit of migrants (Niger, Chad …).
Migration management, however, is only one aspect of this mechanism. The solution to this crisis is, therefore, slow to emerge. Thus, while human trafficking has been reduced in targeted areas and number of tragic deaths in the Mediterranean is beginning to stabilize, new paths are being discovered, even more dangerous for immigrants.
All these advances must therefore be put into perspective in the face of the humanitarian emergency that persists in Europe as in Africa.
Migration, a reaffirmed priority of the European Union
On 28th June this year, the European Parliament and the Council officialized their common will to create an European fund for sustainable development. Granted with an initial amount of 3,35 billion euro, it is meant to encourage private investments toward developing countries in Africa and Western Asia, in order to fight root causes of migration (war, economy, environment…). The EFSD should boost the financial return by releasing up to 44 billion euro of investment.
In parallel with this announcement,various financial instruments intended to combat immigration are used to the best of needs, this issue has once again been placed at the heart of Horizon 2020 program for the period 2018-2020. It is therefore legitimate to ask to what extent the European Union, through its financial instruments, will be able to overcome the difficulties associated with migration.
