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As the European Union fast-tracks reforms under its New Pact on Migration and Asylum, critics warn that the bloc’s externalization strategy — outsourcing migration control to third countries, notably in North Africa — risks deepening distrust and failing to address root causes.
The reforms prioritize returns and border controls, expanding concepts like ‘safe third country’ and ‘safe country of origin’ and removing key safeguards such as requiring asylum seekers to have a meaningful connection to the country they may be transferred to. Meanwhile, the EU is pushing for a common return system and ‘return hubs’ outside its borders, raising legal and ethical concerns. While these efforts aim to reduce pressure on EU member states and speed up deportations, African policymakers and civil society actors push back, arguing the approach reflects a lopsided partnership. “While the pact sought to reform a system riddled with deficiencies, it also carries a built-in contradiction: while responsibility is outsourced externally, internal solidarity among EU member states remain elusive,” notes a recent analysis published by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI).
African stakeholders are therefore calling for a pivot from paternalism to partnership: from aid to real investment, and from security-driven containment to policies that reflect mobility as a livelihood strategy. Demographic pressures, regional instability, and underdevelopment are fueling migration — factors the EU’s current strategy overlooks. Analysts at ISPI warn that externalization is becoming a default tactic, delaying internal EU reforms and undermining long-term cooperation. A durable migration policy, they argue, requires centering African perspectives, expanding legal pathways, and rebuilding trust through genuine, reciprocal engagement. “Promoting balanced cooperation with third countries remains key, while also safeguarding human rights,” says the ISPI analysis.
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