The response to Europe’s refugee crisis has long been far from unified. But when the European Union cut a deal with Turkey to stem migration and refugee flows from Turkey to Greece, it sparked a new level of discord within the development community. Some of Europe’s top advocacy NGOs reacted with a profound sense of the EU’s collective failure, with some groups calling for a more principled and responsible approach.
At the conference titled “The future of EU External Action — towards integrated policy responses for global sustainable development,” which took place in Berlin, Germany, last month, members of the European development community discussed the road ahead for actions being taken on Europe’s external borders. Participants called for human rights to be made front and center of the current debate.
Here are some of the main takeaways from the discussions on migration policy:
About the author
Helen Morgan
Helen Morgan is a journalist and editor, primarily focusing on climate change, migration, humanitarian crises, and human rights. She was previously an Associate Editor at Devex, where she managed the op-eds section and led a project covering climate resilience in small island developing states. Helen was also features editor at World Politics Review, and editor and writer at the environmental think tank WRI, as well as editing for The New Humanitarian. She lives and works in Barcelona, Spain.
