Migrations Programme - [05/07/2007]

The exterior uncertainties of european migration policy

Virgine Guiraudon, a researcher at the European University Institute in Florence, stated that “negotiations between the EU and/or its member states and third countries over migration policies occur in terms of cost-benefit, and with the intention of resolving temporary situations”, in a debate workshop that was held in the Jordi Maragall Hall of the CIDOB Foundation. These types of negotiations, framed in a scenario with unequal distribution of power, do not try to resolve the causes of such situations but rather to mitigate their consequences.

In this act, which constituted the second session of the series, “The Exterior Dimension of Immigration Policies”, Virginei Guiraudon dealt with such issues as the will of countries of origin to collaborate in migration policy, the incentives the European Union could offer them and the attention that is focused on immigrants’ rights.

According to Guiraudon, “the policies of the EU tend towards an externalisation of management in the control of migration flows”. Thus, it poses “the delegating of the tasks of border control and transit of immigration to the countries of origin or to private actors like transportation agencies, in exchange for giving them economic or trade incentives or even political legitimacy”. Likewise, the researcher underscored the idea that it creates a policy of “remote control, which aim to sift the immigrants outside of the borders, through controls in their countries of origin or through visa policies, among others”.

For the speaker, the integration of migration into the exterior actions of the European Union is an uncertain game. According to Guiraudon, “these exterior actions do not seem to seek global responses for the migration phenomenon” (neither in the countries of origin nor in the destination countries) “nor responses capable of harmonising with the rest of European policies” (trade, enlargement, etc.).

On the other hand, “the political and economic costs of these migration flow management and control policies are considerable, and not less important are the costs related to the violation of the human rights of immigrants and, especially, asylum-seekers”, the researcher from European University Institute in Florence added.

The workshop, organised by the Migrations Programme of the CIDOB Foundation with the collaboration of the Provincial Council of Barcelona, also featured the participation of Josep Ribera, Director of the CIDOB Foundation; Ricard Zapata-Barrero, Permanent Lecturer in Political Science at Pompeu Fabra University; and Gemma Pinyol, Coordinator of the Migrations Programme of the CIDOB Foundation.

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>> News on the 1st session of the debate workshop, “Spain, the EU and Relations with Third Countries in the Area of Migration”, held on the 13th of March