European Union Border Externalisation and Securitisation in Africa

During the sixth European Union - African Union summit in Brussels on 17 and 18 February 2022, which was co-Chaired by Macky Sall, President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union, and Michel Charles, President of the European Councils, leaders of the two unions aimed to protect human rights, promote gender equality and empower women, preserve the climate, environment and biodiversity, fight against inequalities, and uphold the rule of law at three levels: continental, regional, and bilateral. The International Organisation for Migration’s Missing Migrants report recorded 24,386 migrants missing/dead in the Mediterranean since 2014, 48 per cent of whom journey originate from Africa. With over 782 million invested nationally and regionally, the EU’s border externalisation policy has focused on Niger aiming to reduce the number irregular migration flow to Europe. On 17 May 2022, Spain announced the reopening of its border Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco. Against this backdrop, this panel will assess the impact of EU border externalisation policy in Africa and the effectiveness of the AU response(s).

Speakers:

• Amanda Bisong, The Centre for Africa-Europe Relations (ECDPM)
• Victor H Mlambo, School of Public Management, Governance, and Public, University of Johannesburg
• Obiora Okafor (moderator), Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
• Paola Pace, International Organisation for Migration, UN Migration Nigeria
• Fatma Raach, University of Jendouba

This event is organized by the ASIL Africa Interest Group and co-sponsored by the Human Rights Interest Group, the International Environmental Law Interest Group, the International Refugee Law Interest Group, and the Migration Law Interest Group.