Archive
The politics behind the EU-Mauritania migration partnership
On 7 March, the EU and Mauritania signed a landmark “migration deal.” This January note from the European Commission makes the case for the deal to EU member state representatives in the Council. Dated 26 January, and therefore preceding both the public announcement of the deal on 7 February and its signing one month later, the note offers insight into the politics behind the migration partnership deal between Mauritania and the EU. Read More
Charting a course through the labyrinth of externalisation
“Migration is a European challenge which requires a European response” has become a favoured refrain of EU officials and communiques. While the slogan is supposed to reinforce the need for a unified EU migration policy, it also masks the reality of the situation. The EU’s response to migration – in particular, irregular migration – is increasingly dependent on non-EU, and non-European states. Billions of euros and huge diplomatic efforts have been expended over the last three decades to rope non-EU states into this migration control agenda, and the process of externalisation is accelerating and expanding. Understanding the institutions and agencies involved is a crucial first step for anyone working for humane EU asylum and migration policies. Read More
Met police to pay ‘five-figure sum’ to French publisher arrested under anti-terror laws
The Guardian, 29 April 2024. Read More
New project to provide systematic monitoring of EU externalisation policy
What are the objectives of the EU’s external migration policy? With which countries are new migration agreements planned? How is the EU seeking to integrate non-European states into its violent migration control regime? And what impact will this have on people seeking protection, migrants, democracy and human rights, inside and outside the EU? Read More
EU: Council eyes role in “operationalising” the Pact on Migration and Asylum
“The effectiveness of this new legal framework hinges on its successful implementation. This will require the adoption and application of regulatory adjustments at national level, the development or enhancement of equipment and infrastructure, the implementation of new systems, processes and procedures, reinforced coordination at national and EU level, and increased operational support and financial allocation.” Read More
Putting the cart before the horse: the Commission’s proposal to increase Europol’s powers
Hounded by criticism from civil society and EU member states over its new proposal to increase the powers of Europol, the European Commission has belatedly published an “analytical document” in lieu of a formal impact assessment. The new proposal would lead to the storage of vast quantities of information by Europol on human smuggling and trafficking cases, intended to increase investigations and prosecutions. However, the Commission’s document offers a minimal analysis of the potential impact on individual rights, particularly of people in vulnerable situations, and the data protection safeguards at Europol are inadequate for the proposed changes. Read More
Working Party on Integration, Migration and Expulsion
The Working Party on Integration, Migration and Expulsion (IMEX) is one of 16 official justice and home affairs working parties in the Council, though it is unclear when and why its mandate was granted. According to the Council it “deals with issues related to entry to, exit from and integration in the EU.” For those purposes, it meets in different formats – for example, IMEX (Admission) or IMEX (Expulsion), the latter being most relevant for this project. Read More
Working Party on Frontiers
The Working Party on Frontiers deals “in particular with measures relating to the crossing of external and internal borders of the Schengen states,” and “questions related to the EU agency for the management of external borders, Frontex.” Read More
Operational Coordination Mechanism on the External Dimension of Migration (MOCADEM)
MOCADEM was set up in January 2022 to "enable the Union to coordinate and react in a timely manner to issues related to the external dimension of migration." It works to "prepare and propose operational actions relating to the means and leverages to be mobilised to implement the Union's objectives for each third country concerned." MOCADEM stands for mécanisme de coordination opérationnelle pour la dimension extérieure des migrations, or Operational Coordination Mechanism on the External Dimension of Migration. Read More
Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum
The Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) was set up following the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty in 1999. In 2011 it was described by the Council’s General Secretariat as “an invaluable network for senior officials acting in politically sensitive and fast-developing EU policy field to find solutions to interrelated problems.” In 2015 it was granted a role in overseeing plans “to promote coherence between internal and external aspects of migration.” Read More