Beyond borders: migration, mobility and good governance in the Africa-EU partnership

Good governance, human mobility and migration remain key issues when it comes to building people-to-people cooperation across Africa and Europe. Strong institutions and the rule of law, are also among the most crucial factors in eradicating poverty and are essential for Africa to deliver on its Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The damage caused by Covid-19 and its impact on the most vulnerable, call for the EU and Africa to review and further strengthen cooperation in a more strategic and tailored way, based on mutual commitments, accountability and ownership. Despite the misconceptions present in some debates in Europe, the overwhelming majority of African migrants move within Africa, mostly along rural-urban lines. The challenge for many African states is how to make use of the enormous opportunity provided by intra-continental mobility, through integrated, pan-Africanist thinking whilst ensuring that these processes happen in safe and secure ways. Focus also needs to be placed on refugees and asylum seekers across Africa, to create long-term solutions for forced migration that allows people to rebuild their lives. With a more holistic approach, embedding migration into every aspect of the Strategy with Africa, comes the view that it is a natural part of human development – one which creates opportunities for both Africa and Europe. The newly presented Communication on a New Pact on Migration and Asylum confirms that migration is central to the EU’s overall relationships with key partner countries of origin and transit. Both the EU and its partners have their own interests and tools to act. Comprehensive, balanced and tailor-made partnerships, can deliver mutual benefits, in the economy, sustainable development, education and skills, stability and security, and relations with diaspora.

As outlined in the Joint Communication, Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa, strengthening the capacity of institutions and the rule of law, will be necessary pre-requisites to bolster empowered, mobile and connected societies, however, it will be equally important to support credible, inclusive, and transparent initiatives which reinforce civil society organisations and enhance the promotion of universal human rights. Accountability and transparency of public institutions, independent and impartial justice systems; transnational crimes and trafficking of human beings; corruption and illicit financial flows, are among many of the challenges that both continents can work on to leverage and strengthen their partnership. Can Africa and the EU develop an integrated and cooperative approach to human mobility, governance, democracy, and the rule of law to strengthen democratic, peaceful and inclusive societies?

Questions to be discussed include:

• Does the proposed EU Strategy with Africa enable both continents to optimise their cooperation on migration and mobility, good governance, democracy and the rule of law?
• What steps can be put in place to improve the safety of legal migration routes? How can Europe work with Africa to reduce ‘push’ factors that force people to attempt dangerous crossings of the Mediterranean?
• What are the tools required to promote accountability and transparency across all areas of governance to achieve well-functioning democratic processes that improve access to basic services and quality of life? Can both continents collaborate to identify and support initiatives that have the ability to strengthen these objectives?