African countries will have to limit the flow of migrants to Europe if they want to continue receiving development aid from the European Union. This is envisaged in a draft of the European Commission, part of the prepared seven-year budget plan, which will be presented next week, Politico reports, News.bg reports.
The draft document, reviewed by the publication, envisages tying EU aid to poorer countries to concrete results in reducing migration. This reflects the tightening of Brussels' migration policy, especially after the strong performance of right-wing parties in last year's European elections.
The new approach will bring EU policy closer to that of the US and the UK, which have for years used foreign aid as a tool to achieve domestic political priorities.
“The plan will combine all appropriate instruments and use an incentive approach, including, where appropriate, possible adjustments to the allocation of funding related to migration“, the document states.
The initiative is seen as a response to pressure from the European People's Party (EPP) and member states such as Italy and Denmark, which are pushing for stricter controls on migration. The plan envisages expanding the model used in the controversial 2023 Tunisia agreement by concluding similar arrangements with other African countries.
“Greater coherence is needed between the Union's migration, asylum and foreign policies so that external assistance can help manage migration flows more effectively,“ the document also says.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will need to win the support of the left and green groups in the European Parliament to pass the plan, as it envisages a major shift away from the current policy of granting aid unconditionally.
The new budget plan includes merging existing aid programmes into a single fund, “Global Europe“, which will be divided into six geographical areas:
Europe
Middle East, North Africa and the Persian Gulf
Sub-Saharan Africa
Asia and the Pacific
Americas and the Caribbean
Global Initiatives
The specific budget allocations between these regions are not specified in the draft, and are expected to be announced internally on the day of its presentation next Wednesday.