Copenhagen – ESI on migration partnerships at Danish Inter-Parliamentary Conference

Copenhagen. Photo: ESI

ESI’s Gerald Knaus participated in a panel at the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy, held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event was organized by the Danish government as part of its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. Joining Gerald on the panel was Frontex Deputy Executive-Director Aija Kalnaja.

Guiding questions of the panel included how the EU could deepen partnerships with third countries as part of its foreign and security policy, what lessons emerge from existing migration partnerships, what steps are needed to better protect external borders, and whether current tools are sufficient to ensure returns of irregular migrants.

Gerald said that the 2016 EU-Turkey deal shows that migration partnerships are both effective and ethical. He pointed out the deal not only drastically reduced iregular crossings into Greeece, but also saved lives, with deaths in the Mediterranean decreasing by ninety percent after the deal came into force. He argued that the EU should pursue a deal with the United Kingdom, a trusted partner, to demonstrate the present potential of such partnerships. Under this deal, the EU would agree to take back migrants who illegally cross the Channel; in exchange, the UK will agree to directly resettle from the EU an agreed-upon number of migrants who wish to move to the UK. The framework established in this partnership could then be replicated with further EU partners, reestablishing European control over migration in a legal and ethical manner.

The Conference in Copenhagen. Photo: ESI

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