THIS CONTENT HAS BEEN ARCHIVED

Managing migration effectively: HR/VP Mogherini reports on progress with 5 key partner countries

18.10.2016
Teaser

The new approach launched by the European Union to manage migration in full partnership with key countries is already bringing results. High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini presented today the first progress report on the Partnership Framework established four months ago.

Main Image
Text

The Framework has started to enhance partnerships with five priority countries: Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Ethiopia. It focusses on saving lives, tackling the root causes of migration, disrupting and dismantling smuggling networks and the return of irregular migrants. The Partnership Framework is about deepening cooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination.

"Migration is a global issue that concerns our internal policies and our external relations, but most of all it concerns the lives of millions of people. And it has to be managed in a coordinated, sustainable, jointly responsible and human way:, Mogherini said. "The Partnership Framework approach we have put in place four months ago goes exactly in this direction: it is a two way process based on shared interests and a common work", she underlined.

Speaking at the launch on the progress report in Brussels on Tuesday, Federica Mogherini said that there had been more progress in last few months than in last few years. The Partnership Framework brought together the European Commission, European External Action Service and EU Member States as well as the five partner countries.

This framework is based on "partnership", "responsibility" and "ownership" and has been "very well received" by the partners Mogherini noted. The High Representative told Journalists that these were at the heart of the commitments made at last years' Valletta Summit on Migration and what the EU had presented at the UN General Assembly last month.

Since the start of the partnership, there had been “59 programmes, 927 million euros committed and 24 projects adopted under the EU Trust Fund for Africa worth 425 million”, the HRVP explained.

In Niger, where many projects are already in place, there has been a decrease in the transit of irregular migrants and increase in arrests of people smugglers. In Mali and Senegal the emphasis has been on tackling root causes through improved governance. In Nigeria the EU was about to start negotiations on a readmission agreement.  In Ethiopia, where there is "a worrying political situation", the EU is promoting employment opportunities for local communities and refugees alike (the country hosts 700,000 refugees).

Videos (legacy)
Media AV Portal Video

Press conference HRVP Mogherini on the progress under the Migration Partnership Framework

18.10.2016