Europe's migration agreements with migrant-sending countries in the global South: a critical review

Abstract

The past two decades have seen the steady emergence of various bilateral and multilateral migration agreements between Europe and migrant-sending countries in the global South. This article provides a critical assessment of the way the EU – and individual countries such as Spain, France and Italy – have played active roles in reshaping old and developing new strategies for keeping migration under control while opening up new opportunities for ‘‘regular’’ migration. It also discusses the extent to which migration agreements help migrant-sending countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to optimize the link between migration and development. Based on an analysis of the contents of the migration agreements and their implementation, it has become obvious that there is still a long way to go to achieve ‘‘fair multilateralism’’ and create ‘‘win-win’’ situations between the EU and the poorer migrant-sending countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.