COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility
Date: 2011-11-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European neighbourhood policy, admission of aliens, education of foreigners, geographical mobility, immigration, integration of migrants, international cooperation, migrant worker, migration control, residential mobility, vocational training

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 18.11.2011 
COM(2011) 743 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility 

{SEC(2011) 1353 final} 

 
 
 
 
  
 
INTRODUCTION 

Globalisation,  demographic  change  and  societal  transformation  are  affecting  the  European 
Union,  its  Member  States  and  countries  around  the  world.  According  to  United  Nations 
assessments, there are 214 million international migrants worldwide and another 740 million 
internal  migrants.  There  are  44  million  forcibly  displaced  people.  An  estimated  50  million 
people  are  living  and  working  abroad  with  irregular  status1.  Dialogue  at  global  level  can 
address some of the shared challenges and concerns. However, it is at regional, national and 
local levels that each individual and each stakeholder will seize the opportunities brought by 
migration and by mobility. 

Migration is now firmly at the top of the European Union’s political agenda. The Arab spring 
and events in the Southern Mediterranean in 2011 further highlighted the need for a coherent 
and comprehensive migration policy for the EU. The Commission has already presented a 
range  of  policy  proposals  and  operational  measures  on  migration,  mobility,  integration  and 
international protection in its Communications of 4 and 24 May 20112. Those proposals were 
fully  endorsed  by  the  European  Council  in  June  this  year3  and  since  then  the  EU  has  taken 
immediate action by launching dialogues on migration, mobility and security with Tunisia 
and  Morocco  in  early  October  and  making  the  necessary  preparations  to  start  the  dialogue 
with Egypt. Similar dialogues will follow with other countries in the Southern Mediterranean 
region, notably with Libya, as soon as the political situation permits. The dialogues allow the 
EU  and  the  partner  countries  to  discuss  in  a  comprehensive  manner  all  aspects  of  their 
possible cooperation in managing migration flows and circulation of persons with a view to 
establishing Mobility Partnerships. 

In  its  Communication  of  4  May,  the  Commission  highlighted  the  need  for  the  EU  to 
strengthen its external migration policy by setting up partnerships with non-EU countries 
that  address  issues  related  to  migration  and  mobility  in  a  way  that  makes  cooperation 
mutually beneficial. To this end and reflecting the Stockholm Programme and the Stockholm 
Programme Action Plan4, the European Council’s June Conclusions invited the Commission 
to  present  an  evaluation  of  the  Global  Approach  to  Migration  and  set  a  path  towards  a 
more  consistent,  systematic  and  strategic  policy  framework  for  the  EU’s  relations  with  all 
relevant non-EU countries. This should include specific proposals for developing the Union’s 
key partnerships, giving priority to the Union’s neighbourhood as a whole. 

Moreover,  despite  the  current  economic  crisis  and  unemployment  rates,  European  countries 
are  facing  labour  market  shortages  and  vacancies  that  cannot  be  filled  by  the  domestic 
workforce  in  specific  sectors,  e.g.  in  health,  science  and  technology.  Long-term  population 
ageing in Europe is expected to halve the ratio between persons of working age (20-64) and 

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4 

UNDP (2009) Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development, Human Development Report; 
UNHCR (2011) Global Trends 2010. 
COM(2011) 292/3:  Communication  on  ‘A  dialogue  for  migration,  mobility  and  security  with  the 
Southern Mediterranean countries’. 
European Council Conclusions, 23/24 June 2011. 
Stockholm  Programme:  Council  Document  17024/09,  approved  by  the  European  Council  on 
1-2 December  2009:  http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/intro/policies_intro_en.htm  Action  Plan 
Implementing 
final  of  20  April  2010: 
the  Stockholm  Programme,  COM(2010) 171 
http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/intro/policies_intro_en.htm. 

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persons aged 65 and above in the next fifty years. Migration is already of key importance in 
the EU, with net migration contributing 0.9 million people or 62 % of total population growth 
in  2010.  All  indicators  show  that  some  of  the  additional  and  specific  skills  needed  in  the 
future could be found only outside the EU5. 

This is the context in which the EU’s Global Approach to Migration has evolved since it was 
adopted in 2005. It was designed to address all relevant aspects of migration in a  balanced 
and  comprehensive  way,  in  partnership  with  non-EU  countries.  The  Global  Approach  was 
evaluated in the first half of 2011 through an online public consultation and several dedicated 
consultative meetings6. The consultations confirmed the added value of the Global Approach 
and  the  valuable  results  it  has  delivered.  They  also  indicated  a  need  for  stronger  policy 
coherence with other policy areas and a better thematic and geographical balance. The Global 
Approach should, therefore, reflect the strategic objectives of the Union better and translate 
them  into  concrete  proposals  for  dialogue  and  cooperation,  notably  with  the  Southern  and 
Eastern Neighbourhood, Africa, enlargement countries and with other strategic partners. 

In  order  to  reap  the  benefits  that  well-managed  migration  can  bring  and  to  respond  to  the 
challenges of changing migration trends, the EU will need to adapt its policy framework. This 
Communication  puts  forward  a  renewed  Global  Approach  to  Migration  and  Mobility 
(GAMM) designed to meet that objective. 

1. 

KEY OBJECTIVES 

The  Global  Approach  must  become  more  strategic  and  more  efficient,  with  stronger  links 
and  alignment  between  relevant  EU  policy  areas  and  between  the  external  and  internal 
dimensions of those policies. 

Mobility of third country nationals across the external EU borders is of strategic importance 
in this regard. It applies to a wide range of people, e.g. short-term visitors, tourists, students, 
researchers,  business  people  or  visiting  family  members.  It  is  thus  a  much  broader  concept 
than  migration.  Mobility  and  visa  policy  are  interlinked  and  around  11  million  visas  were 
granted  by  the  Member  States  issuing  Schengen  visas  in  2009.  Visa  policy  is  an  influential 
instrument  for  a  forward-looking  policy  on  mobility,  as  stated  in  the  Commission’s 
Communication  of  4  May  20117.  Therefore,  it  is  now  necessary  to  take  full  account  of  the 
links between the common EU visa policy for short stays, Member States’ national policies 
concerning long stays and the Global Approach to Migration. This is a key reason to expand 
the  scope  of  this  policy  framework  to  include  mobility,  making  it  the  Global  Approach  to 
Migration and Mobility (GAMM). 

The  existing  (and  possible  future)  visa  dialogues  launched  by  the  EU  should,  therefore,  be 
fully assessed in the wider framework of the GAMM. The aim is to ensure that before visa 
obligations  are  facilitated  or  lifted,  a  number  of  specific  benchmarks  are  fulfilled  by  the 
partner  countries,  including  in  areas  such  as  asylum,  border  management  and  irregular 
migration. This process can ensure mobility in a secure environment. 

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7 

European  Migration  Network  (2011)  Key  EU  Migratory  Statistics;  Eurostat  (2011)  Population  and 
social conditions, 38/2011, 34/2011. 
http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/news/consulting_public/consulting_0021_en.htm. 
COM(2011) 292/3. 

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The  Global  Approach  should  be  even  more  linked  and  integrated  with  the  EU’s  external 
policies.  The  Global  Approach  is  to  be  defined  in  the  widest  possible  context  as  the 
overarching framework of EU external migration policy, complementary to other, broader, 
objectives  that  are  served  by  EU  foreign  policy  and  development  cooperation8.  Major 
progress has been made in this direction since 2005, but more efforts are needed in order to 
harness fully all potential synergies between these policies and with trade policy. The EU and 
its  Member  States  should  develop  strategies  and  programmes  that  address  migration  and 
mobility,  foreign  policy  and  development  objectives  in  a  coherent  and  integrated  way.  The 
creation  of  the  European  External  Action  Service  (EEAS)  should  facilitate  the  use  of  the 
variety of policies and instruments at the EU’s disposal in a coherent manner.  

The  Migration  and  Mobility  Dialogues  are  the  drivers  of  the  GAMM  and  should  be 
standardised as much as possible. They will be carried out as part of the broader frameworks 
for  bilateral  relations  and  dialogue  (e.g.  Strategic  Partnerships,  Association  Agreements  or 
Partnership  and  Cooperation  Agreements, 
JLS 
Subcommittees).  Dialogues  are  to  be  pursued  both  by  regional  processes  and  at 
bilateral/national  level  with  key  partner  countries.  Where  relevant,  they  should  be 
undertaken  according  to  the  Common  Foreign  and  Security  Policy.  Dialogues  will  build  on 
regular  political  steering,  through  high-level  and  senior  officials  meetings,  action  plans, 
cooperation instruments and monitoring mechanisms, where relevant. In addition, they should 
also be pursued at local level, notably in the framework of policy/political dialogue, through 
the EU Delegations. 

Joint  Cooperation  Councils  or 

Migration and mobility in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy aim to contribute to the 
vitality and competitiveness of the EU. Securing an adaptable workforce with the necessary 
skills which can cope successfully with the evolving demographic and economic changes is a 
strategic  priority  for  Europe.  There  is  also  an  urgent  need  to  improve  the  effectiveness  of 
policies aiming at integration of migrants into the labour market. Policies in place need to be 
reviewed and strengthened as the Union faces pressing labour market challenges, particularly 
shortfalls in skill levels and serious labour mismatches. Labour market strategies for meeting 
needs and promoting the integration of legal migrants should be discussed with the Member 
States  and  reflected  in  the  dialogue  with  partner  countries  where  there  could  be  mutual 
interests. There must also be a dialogue with the private sector and employers to explore 
why  some  vacancies  are  difficult  to  fill  and  the  potential  for  a  more  demand-driven  legal 
immigration  policy.  Portability  of  social  and  pension  rights  could  also  be  a  facilitator  for 
mobility  and  circular  migration,  as  well  as  a  disincentive  for  irregular  work,  and  should 
therefore  be  improved.  Closer  cooperation  between  Member  States  on  social  security 
coordination  with  non-EU  countries  will  promote  progress  in  this  area.  The  Commission 
intends  in  2012,  to  produce  a  Green  Paper  on  policies  needed  to  effectively  integrate  the 
dimension of economic migration into the EU strategic thinking for employment and growth.  

Education and training play a crucial role in successfully integrating migrants into society 
and the labour market. Fuller account should therefore be taken of lifelong learning policies in 
the context of migration and mobility..  

Recommendations 

8 

See,  for  example,  Commission  Communication  COM(2011) 637  on  ‘Increasing  the  Impact  of  EU 
Development Policy: an Agenda for Change’. 

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•  The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) should be considered and 
promoted  as the overarching  framework of  the EU External Migration Policy, based 
on  genuine  partnership  with  non-EU  countries  and  addressing  migration  and  mobility 
issues  in  a  comprehensive  and  balanced  manner.  The  GAMM  should  respond  to  the 
opportunities  and  challenges  that  the  EU  migration  policy  faces,  while  at  the  same  time 
supporting partners to address their own migration and mobility priorities, within their 
appropriate regional context and framework. 

•  The  GAMM  should  establish  a  comprehensive  framework  to  manage  migration  and 
mobility with partner countries in a coherent and mutually beneficial way through policy 
dialogue  and  close  practical  cooperation.  It  should  be  firmly  embedded  in  the  EU’s 
overall  foreign  policy  framework,  including  development  cooperation,  and  well 
aligned with the EU’s internal policy priorities. 

•  The GAMM should be driven by Migration and Mobility Dialogues. They constitute the 
fundamental process by which EU migration policy is transposed into the EU’s external 
relations. They aim to exchange information, identify shared interests and build trust and 
commitment as a basis for operational cooperation for the mutual benefit of the EU and its 
partner(s). 

•  The GAMM should be jointly implemented by the European Commission, the European 
External  Action  Service  (EEAS),  including  the  EU  Delegations,  and  the  EU  Member 
States, in accordance with the respective institutional competences. 

2. 

THEMATIC PRIORITIES 

People-to-people  contacts  through  education  and  training,  trade  and  business,  cultural 
exchanges,  tourism  or  visiting  family  members  across  borders  form  an  essential  part  of 
today’s world. Good governance of migration and mobility of third countries nationals can 
create  value  on  a  daily  basis  for  the  development  of  millions  of  people,  increase  the  EU’s 
competitiveness  and  enrich  European  societies.  This  makes  the  Global  Approach  a  core 
strategic interest of the EU and its Member States. With an increasingly global labour market 
for the highly skilled, there is already strong competition for talent. Dialogue and cooperation 
with non-EU countries should also place migration and mobility in the perspective of the need 
to  maintain  orderly  movements.  Without  well-functioning  border  controls,  lower  levels  of 
irregular migration and an effective return policy, it will not be possible for the EU to offer 
more opportunities for legal migration and mobility. The legitimacy of any policy framework 
relies on this. The well-being of migrants and successful integration largely depend on it. The 
EU will step up its efforts to prevent and reduce trafficking in human beings. It will continue 
to  improve  the  efficiency  of  its  external  borders  on  the  basis  of  common  responsibility, 
solidarity and greater  practical cooperation. It will also reinforce  its  operational  cooperation 
geared towards capacity-building with its partner countries. 

The  EU  and  its  Member  States  should  also  be  among  the  frontrunners  in  promoting  global 
responsibility-sharing based on the Geneva Refugee Convention and in close cooperation with 
the  UNHCR,  other  relevant  agencies  and  non-EU  countries.  The  EU  is  already  actively 
engaged in supporting international protection, but the external dimension of asylum must 
be  given  higher  visibility  in  interaction  with  its  partners.  Council  Conclusions  have  also 

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highlighted  the  commitment  to  strengthen  the  external  dimension  of  EU  asylum  policy  and 
stressed the importance of Regional Protection Programmes (RPPs) in this regard9. 

Good  governance  of  migration  will  also  bring  vast  development  benefits.  Evidence  shows 
that  migrant  households  can  increase  their  well-being  thanks  to  opportunities  abroad  to 
acquire new skills and work experience. Migration and mobility can also foster more foreign 
direct investment and trade links, especially bearing in mind the role of diaspora communities. 
It is thus in the interest of the migrant source countries, as well as of the destination countries, 
to work together to ensure maximum development benefits from the transfer of remittances, 
know-how and innovations. While the potential of migrants to contribute to the development 
of their country of origin should be fully recognised and assisted by a wide range of measures, 
efforts  should  also  be  made  to  counteract  brain  drain  and  brain  waste  and  promote  brain 
circulation. 

These  four  themes    legal  migration  and  mobility,  irregular  migration  and  trafficking  in 
human beings, international  protection and asylum policy, and maximising the development 
impact of migration and mobility  should be covered under the GAMM as its four pillars. If 
the EU is to engage more systematically in facilitating and managing migration and mobility, 
this  latter  aspect  should  be  visible  in  the  pillars  on  legal  migration  and  on  migration  and 
development. Addressing trafficking in human beings is of key importance and should be a 
visible dimension of the pillar on irregular migration. The aim of launching a comprehensive 
approach  under  the  GAMM  justifies  raising  the  profile  of  international  protection  and 
asylum as one of its pillars. 

The GAMM should also be migrant-centred. In essence, migration governance is not about 
‘flows’,  ‘stocks’  and  ‘routes’,  it  is  about  people.  In  order  to  be  relevant,  effective  and 
sustainable,  policies  must  be  designed  to  respond  to  the  aspirations  and  problems  of  the 
people  concerned.  Migrants  should,  therefore,  be  empowered  by  gaining  access  to  all  the 
information they need about their opportunities, rights and obligations. The Commission has 
set up the EU Immigration Portal to provide such information together with other measures. 

The human rights of migrants are a cross-cutting dimension, of relevance to all four pillars 
in  the  GAMM.  Special  attention  should  be  paid  to  protecting  and  empowering  vulnerable 
migrants,  such  as  unaccompanied  minors,  asylum-seekers,  stateless  persons  and  victims  of 
trafficking. This is also often a priority for migrant source countries. Respect for the Charter 
of Fundamental Rights of the EU is a key component of EU policies on migration. The impact 
on  fundamental  rights  of  initiatives  taken  in  the  context  of  the  GAMM  must  be  thoroughly 
assessed.  More  will  also  need  to  be  done  to  explain  the  EU  legal  framework,  including  the 
new Single Permit Directive, to the EU’s partners and to migrants. 

The  migrant-centred  approach  should  be  articulated  and  implemented  through  an  enhanced 
dialogue with the diaspora, migrant groups and relevant organisations. This dialogue should 
include  human  rights  issues  in  relation  to  migrants  in  the  EU  and,  in  particular,  in  non-EU 
countries. Where appropriate, cooperation on this theme should be streamlined with dialogue 
and cooperation on all four pillars of the GAMM. 

Finally,  the  Stockholm  Programme  recognised  climate  change  as  a  global  challenge  that  is 
increasingly  driving  migration  and  displacement  and  invited  the  Commission  to  present  an 

9 

Council  of  the  European  Union,  Council  Conclusions  on  Borders,  Migration  and  Asylum,  9  and 
10 June 2011. 

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analysis  of  this  phenomenon,  beyond  merely  its  potential  effects  on  immigration  into  the 
European  Union.  Addressing  environmentally  induced  migration,  also  by  means  of 
adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change, should be considered part of the Global 
Approach. 

Recommendations 

•  The GAMM should be based on four equally important pillars: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

organising and facilitating legal migration and mobility; 

preventing and reducing irregular migration and trafficking in human beings; 

promoting  international  protection  and  enhancing  the  external  dimension  of 
asylum policy; 

(4) 

maximising the development impact of migration and mobility. 

•  The GAMM should be migrant-centred. It is to be based on the principle that the migrant 
is at the core of the analysis and all action and must be empowered to gain access to safe 
mobility. 

•  The human rights of migrants are a cross-cutting issue in the GAMM, as this dimension 
is relevant to all four pillars. The GAMM should strengthen respect for fundamental rights 
and the human rights of migrants in source, transit and destination countries alike. 

3. 

GEOGRAPHICAL PRIORITIES 

The Global Approach should not be restricted geographically. It is a general approach and a 
method. What will differ across regions are the intensity and degree to which the approach is 
applied and the mix of instruments used. The EU should ensure a coherent approach to use of 
those  instruments  in  accordance  with  its  objectives  and  consistent  with  its  overall  political 
dialogue  with  non-EU  countries.  The  principle  of  differentiation  means  that  the  EU  will 
seek  closer  cooperation  with  those  partners  that  share  interests  with  and  are  ready  to  make 
mutual commitments with the EU and its Member States. New initiatives will be assessed in 
the light of the EU’s present regional and bilateral priorities. 

Regional dialogues 

Over time, a large number of regional and sub-regional dialogue and cooperation processes 
have  emerged.  Some  of  them  started  without  a  direct  EU  link  but  have  gradually  grown  to 
take on an EU dimension. Others engage only a very limited number of EU Member States. 
Some of these processes overlap. This is unsustainable, from a political, financial and human 
resources perspective. There is a need for better definition of the geographical priorities, in 
line with the EU’s overall foreign policy and with the reality of migration trends towards the 
EU and its Member States. 

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The first priority should be the EU Neighbourhood, notably the Southern Mediterranean10 
and  the  Eastern  Partnership  (EaP)11,  where  the  migration  and  mobility  dimensions  are 
closely interwoven with the broader political, economic, social and security cooperation, with 
dialogues taking place both in the regional context and at bilateral level. The aim should be 
systematically  to  move  towards  strong,  close  partnerships  that  build  on  mutual  trust  and 
shared interests, paving the way for further regional integration. 

Secondly,  looking  at  more  targeted  migration  dialogue  processes  with  wider  geographical 
scope,  to  the  south  of  the  EU  priority  should  be  given  to  the  EU-Africa  Strategic 
Partnership  on  Migration,  Mobility  and  Employment12.  Towards  the  east  the  main  priority 
should be the Prague process13. These two processes need to be further consolidated as the 
key  regional  frameworks  for  GAMM  dialogue.  This  should  be  facilitated  by  means  of 
appropriate support programmes. 

Thirdly,  these  regional  processes  will  be  supplemented  by  existing,  specific  sub-regional 
processes that should be aligned as much as possible with the overarching frameworks. In the 
south,  this  means  the  Rabat  process14  (for  Western  Africa)  and  a  possible  additional  sub-
regional framework in the Horn of Africa/East Africa (to be further explored). In the east, 
there is a need to address the overlap between the Prague and Budapest processes15, to make 
them  more  geographically  complementary.  Following  the  2010  initiative  of  the  Turkish 
Chair  to  include  the  countries  of  the  Silk  Routes,  the  Budapest  process  has  gained  further 
relevance for the EU as a unique platform for informal dialogue with key countries of origin 
and transit. Well-planned refocusing of all the activities under this process towards the Silk 
Routes and possibly other Asian countries would be timely. 

Finally,  the  dialogue  on  migration  between  the  EU  and  the  countries  of  the  African, 
Caribbean  and  Pacific  group  (EU-ACP  dialogue)  will  be  intensified,  with  a  focus  on  the 
strengthening  of  the  operational  aspects  of  implementation  of  Article  13  of  the  Cotonou 
Cooperation Agreement. The migration dialogue between the EU and Latin America and the 
Caribbean region (EU-LAC dialogue) is a more recent process that needs to continue in order 
to cater for an increasingly important region. Ways to set up a Brussels-based forum should 
be explored with a view to making the migration dialogue between the EU and relevant Asian 
countries  more  effective  and  comprehensive,  as  the  EU-Asia  dialogue  on  migration  is 
expected to become increasingly important. 

Bilateral dialogues 

EU  enlargement  remains  a  separate  path,  where  a  committed  process  helps  candidate  and 
potential candidate countries to adapt their national policies and legislative frameworks to the 
EU  acquis.  Turkey  and  Western  Balkans  countries  are  developing  close  partnerships  and 
cooperation  with  the  EU  on  migration  and  mobility.  Dialogues  on  migration  and  mobility 

10 
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12 
13 

14 
15 

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. 
Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. 
Partnership between the EU and all 53 African States. 
Process covering the EU and 19 countries in the east (Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Russia, Central 
Asia, Southern Caucasus and Turkey).  
Process covering the EU and 27 countries in Western, Northern and Central Africa. 
Consultative  forum  bringing  together  more  than  50  countries  and  10  international  organisations, 
including  China,  Bangladesh,  Pakistan,  Afghanistan,  Iran,  Iraq,  Syria,  Turkey  and  the  countries  of 
Central Asia. 

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matters  with  these  countries  are  already  intense  and  will  remain  so  up  to  the  time  of  actual 
accession. 

Russia is a key partner country for the EU. Recently very good progress has been made in the 
area  of  migration  and  mobility  by  establishing  the  EU-Russia  Migration  Dialogue  and 
identifying the Common Steps in the framework of the visa liberalisation dialogue. 

The Commission proposes to strengthen the migration and mobility dialogue and operational 
cooperation  with  large  global/regional  economies  in  the  east  (India  and  China)  and  in  the 
south  (Nigeria  and  South  Africa),  as  with  other  developing  countries  with  which  the  EU 
shares a mutual interest, when considered feasible. 

The  dialogue  with  industrialised  countries,  such  as  the  USA,  Canada  and  Australia,  will 
continue to focus on exchanges of information on common priorities and strategies in relation 
to global governance of migration and mobility. 

The  Global  Approach  should  also  further  expand  its  geographical  scope  and  pertinence.  It 
should, therefore, not only focus on migration into the EU, but also address inter- and intra-
regional  migration  and  mobility  in  other  parts  of  the  world  where  relevant.  While  not 
necessarily  having  a  direct  impact  on  the  EU,  this  dimension  might  nevertheless  be  highly 
relevant for some of the EU’s partners and, thus, for the EU’s overall political dialogue and 
cooperation with such countries. 

The Global Approach also provides an appropriate framework for addressing the role of the 
EU in global migration and mobility governance. The Global Approach allows the EU to 
speak  with  one  voice  on  migration  and  mobility  matters  at  global  level,  in  particular  at  the 
Global  Forum  on  Migration  and  Development  (GFMD),  while  starting  to  build  broad 
alliances towards the UN High-Level Dialogue in 2013 and beyond. 

Recommendations 

•  The GAMM should be truly global. Dialogue and cooperation on migration issues should 
be pursued across the globe with all interested and relevant partners based on their and 
the EU's respective priorities. 

•  The  GAMM  should  keep  its  strong  focus  on  regional  dialogue  processes.  They  aim  at 
improving dialogue and cooperation between  countries of origin, transit and destination, 
covering  all  mutually  relevant  issues  and  themes  in  the  area  of  migration  and  mobility. 
While  the  EU  Neighbourhood  remains  a  main  and  broader  priority,  the  overarching 
regional framework towards the south should be the Africa-EU partnership. Towards the 
east it should be the Prague process. Other sub-regional processes should be aligned and 
streamlined accordingly. 

•  At bilateral level, the GAMM should focus on a relatively limited number of key partners. 
These bilateral dialogues complement the regional processes and, where possible, should 
be connected to agreements that cover the entire spectrum of cooperation between the EU 
and the country concerned. 

•  The  GAMM  is  also  open  to  addressing intra-regional  migration  and  mobility in  other 
parts  of  the  world  when  identified  in  the  dialogue  as  relevant  for  obtaining  the  set 
objectives. The GAMM should also allow the EU to move towards a more active role in 
global migration governance. 

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4. 

IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS 

Since  2005  approximately  300  migration-related  projects  in  non-EU  countries  have  been 
funded  under  various  thematic  and  geographical  financial  instruments  of  the  European 
Commission,  amounting  to  a  value  of  € 800  million.  These  projects  include  the  major  joint 
initiatives between the European Commission and United Nations agencies, the International 
Organisation  for  Migration  (IOM)  or  the  International  Centre  for  Migration  Policy 
Development (ICMPD) addressing a wide range of international migration issues. Examples 
include the Migrant Service and Resource Centres in the Western Balkans and Asia, the ACP 
Observatory  on  Migration,  Regional  Protection  Programmes  (RPPs)  in  Africa  and  Eastern 
Europe  and  numerous  projects  supporting  the  implementation  of  Mobility  Partnerships  in 
Eastern Europe (Moldova and Georgia) and Africa (Cape Verde). 

In the past, the Global Approach mainly relied on a few specific tools: (a) migration profiles, 
which are now applied worldwide in more than 70 countries, (b) migration missions, which 
have taken place to 17 non-EU countries, (c) cooperation platforms, set up for a limited period 
in Ethiopia, and (d) Mobility Partnerships, launched with Moldova, Cape Verde, Georgia and, 
most  recently,  with  Armenia.  These  have  been  developed  gradually,  but  are  of  uneven 
relevance and importance and have no clear logical interrelationship. 

However,  the  EU’s  external  migration  policy  also  builds  on  EU  legislation  and  legal 
instruments (so far, nine visa facilitation and thirteen EU readmission agreements, plus seven 
Directives on legal and irregular migration), political instruments (a large number of policy 
dialogues,  often  backed  up  by  action  plans),  operational  support  and  capacity-building 
(including  via  the  EU  agencies  such  as  FRONTEX,  the  EASO  and  the  ETF  and  technical 
assistance  facilities  such  as  MIEUX  and  TAIEX)16  and  the  wide  range  of  programme  and 
project  support  that  is  made  available  to  numerous  stakeholders,  including  civil  society, 
migrant associations and international organisations. 

The GAMM is based on this entire spectrum of tools and instruments, which should be 
applied in a structured and systematic way. This will be done through tailor-made bilateral 
partnership  frameworks  that  will  be  negotiated  between  the  EU  and  each  priority  country 
concerned. 

The first of these frameworks is the Mobility Partnership (MP). The MP is beyond its pilot 
phase and should be upgraded and promoted as the principal framework for cooperation in the 
area of migration and mobility between the EU and its partners, with a primary focus on the 
countries in  the EU Neighbourhood. The proposal  to negotiate  an MP should be presented 
once  a  certain  level  of  progress  has  been  achieved  in  the  migration  and  mobility  dialogues, 
also taking into consideration the broader economic, political and security context. 

The  MP  provides  the  comprehensive  framework  to  ensure  that  movements  of  persons 
between  the  EU  and  a  partner  country  are  well-governed.  The  MP  brings  together  all  the 
measures  to  ensure  that  migration  and  mobility  are  mutually  beneficial  for  the  EU  and  its 
partners, including opportunities for greater labour mobility. 

16 

FRONTEX  is  the  European  Agency  for  operational  cooperation  at  the  external  borders.  EASO  is  the 
European Asylum Support Office. ETF is the European Training Foundation. TAIEX is the Technical 
Assistance  and  Information  Exchange  instrument  managed  by  the  European  Commission.  MIEUX 
(Migration  EU  Expertise)  is  a  Joint  EC-ICMPD  initiative  that  aims  at  enhancing  the  migration 
management capacity of partner countries. 

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The  MP  is  tailor-made  to  the  shared  interests  and  concerns  of  the  partner  country  and  EU 
participants.  The  renewed  MP  offers  visa  facilitation  based  on  a  simultaneously  negotiated 
readmission agreement. A ‘more for more’ approach, implying an element of conditionality, 
should  continue  to  be  applied  as  a  way  to  increase  transparency  and  speed  up  progress 
towards  concluding  these  agreements.  An  appropriately  sized  support  package  geared  to 
capacity-building,  exchanges  of  information  and  cooperation  on  all  areas  of  shared  interest 
should be offered by the EU and by Member States on a voluntary basis. 

The  MP  will  help  to  ensure  that  the  conditions  necessary  for  well-managed  migration  and 
mobility in a secure environment are in place. Provided legal instruments (visa facilitation 
and readmission agreements) and political instruments (policy dialogue and action plans) are 
implemented  effectively,  the  EU  would  be  able  to  consider  taking  gradual  and  conditional 
steps  towards  visa  liberalisation  for  individual  partner  countries  on  a  case-by-case  basis, 
taking into account the overall relationship with the partner country concerned. 

A  second  and  alternative  framework  would  be  the  Common  Agenda  on  Migration  and 
Mobility (CAMM). The CAMM is a viable option for partner countries and for the EU and 
its  Member  States  in  cases  where  both  sides  want  to  establish  an  advanced  level  of 
cooperation,  but  where  one  side  or  the  other  is  not  ready  to  enter  into  the  full  set  of 
obligations  and  commitments.  Like  the  MP,  the  CAMM  should  set  a  number  of  common 
recommendations, targets and commitments for dialogue and cooperation and should include 
a  package  of  specific  support  measures  offered by  the  EU  and  interested  Member  States.  If 
both parties agree, the Common Agenda could be upgraded to a Mobility Partnership at a later 
stage. 

Both  frameworks  are  to  be  established  by  a  joint  political  declaration  between  the  EU  and 
interested  Member  States,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  partner  country  on  the  other.  Both  are 
based on mutual commitments, while remaining formally non-binding. 

Recommendations 

•  The  GAMM  should  be  supported  by  an  extensive  set  of  tools  and  two  partnership 
frameworks,  applied  in  a  flexible  and  tailor-made  manner,  depending  on  the  overall 
political dialogue between the EU and the non-EU country and on both the EU’s interests 
and the interests and needs of its partner. 

•  The Mobility Partnership (MP) is to be built in a balanced way around all four pillars of 
the  GAMM,  notably  with  commitments  on  mobility,  visa  facilitation  and  readmission 
agreements. It may, where appropriate, also include linkages to broader security concerns. 
Cooperation  will  be  backed  up  by  a  support  package  geared  to  capacity-building  and 
cooperation in all areas of shared interest. 

•  The Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM) should be introduced as an 
alternative  framework  to  agree  common  recommendations,  targets  and  commitments 
within each of the four thematic pillars of the GAMM. The fundamental difference from 
the MP is that this framework would not necessarily require negotiating visa facilitation 
and  readmission  agreements.  If  both  parties  agree,  the  Common  Agenda  could  be 
upgraded to a Mobility Partnership at a later stage. 

•  The following tools can be applied within the various stages of dialogue and operational 
cooperation with EU partners and will find their place in the MP/CAMM frameworks: 

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(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Knowledge  tools,  including  migration  profiles,  mapping  instruments,  studies, 
statistical reports, impact assessments and fact-finding missions; 

Dialogue tools, including migration missions, seminars and conferences; 

Cooperation tools, including capacity-building, cooperation platforms, exchanges of 
experts, twinning, operational cooperation and targeted projects and programmes. 

5. 

OPERATIONAL PRIORITIES 

The  European  Union’s  dialogue  and  cooperation  with  non-EU  countries  should  aim  at 
implementing a series of priority activities within each of the four pillars of the GAMM. Each 
of the operational activities should be in line with the EU’s geographical priorities and, as far 
as relevant, give priority to the EU’s main partner countries. 

First pillar: Organising and facilitating legal migration and mobility 

European policy on the organisation and facilitation of legal migration and mobility within the 
GAMM  is  based  on  the  premise  of  offering  employers  wider  opportunities  to  find  the  best 
individuals for vacancies on the global labour market. It equally seeks to offer new European 
employment possibilities for talented people from around the globe, fully respecting Member 
States' competence to manage their labour markets.  

The  European  Union’s  dialogue  and  cooperation  with  non-EU  countries  should  reflect 
evolving  EU  legislation  on  legal  migration  with  a  view  to  providing  greater  access  to 
information on rights and opportunities. It should take into account the views and concerns of 
partner countries and identify shared interests. The skills demand in the EU should be an area 
where possible complementarities with priority partner countries could be further explored. 

The  EU  legislation  on  long-term  residents,  family  reunification,  students,  researchers 
and highly qualified people has harmonised conditions for admission and migrants’ rights in 
some key areas, while Member States retain the right to decide on the numbers of migrants 
they admit for work. The EU Blue Card Directive is the first direct EU response to shortages 
of highly skilled workers. 

The  Directives  on  seasonal  workers  and  on  intra-corporate  transferees,  both  of  direct 
relevance  to  the  labour  market,  are  under  negotiation  with  the  Council  and  the  European 
Parliament. They would introduce a common, simplified and quicker procedure. The proposal 
on seasonal workers also includes protection from exploitation and is of relevance for many 
partner  countries,  especially  in  agriculture  and  tourism.  The  second  proposal  aims  to  allow, 
under  certain  conditions,  companies  established  outside  the  EU  temporarily  to  transfer 
managers, specialists and graduate trainees from non-EU countries to their entities and linked 
enterprises in Member States. 

The Single Permit Directive, expected to be adopted soon by the European Parliament and 
the Council, will bring simplification by establishing a single procedure and a single permit. It 
defines  a  list  of  areas  where,  irrespective  of  their  initial  reason  for  admission,  all  legally 
staying and working non-EU nationals will be granted equal treatment to nationals. Possible 
revisions  of  the  Directives  on  researchers  and  students  could  further  facilitate  admission, 
residence and intra-EU mobility of these key groups for preserving the EU’s future innovation 
capacity and competitiveness. 

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Through dialogue with its partners, the EU will explain this legal framework with a view to 
facilitating  application.  In  addition,  the  EU  Immigration  Portal  has  been  launched  as  an 
online tool for non-EU nationals interested in learning about opportunities and the procedures 
necessary to move to the EU and for those already in the EU who would like to move from 
one Member State to another. Where relevant, this source of information should be combined 
with pre-departure measures focusing on upgrading skills and proficiency in EU languages. 

Effective  integration,  in  particular  in  the  labour  market,  is  the  key  to  ensuring  that  both 
migrants  and  receiving  societies  can  benefit  from  the  potential  of  migration,  including  via 
stronger  diaspora  communities  and  migrant  entrepreneurs.  The  Communication  on  the 
European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals17 suggests new approaches 
and  areas  for  action.  Dialogue  with  EU  partners  should  further  explore  the  role  of  diaspora 
communities and transnational networks in this context, e.g. in preparing migrants better for 
residence in the Member States. 

The  Europe  2020  Strategy  highlights  the  need  for  special  efforts  to  attract  highly  skilled 
migrants  in  the  global  competition  for  talent  and  to  further  the  integration  of  people  with  a 
migrant  background  in  European  societies.  The  Employment  Guidelines  call  on  Member 
States  to  pay  due  attention  to  integration  of  migrants  in  EU  labour  markets,  providing  a 
framework  for  information-sharing  and  coordination  of  employment  policies.  While  the 
EURES  network  provides  information  on  vacancies,  the  Public  Employment  Services  also 
play an important role by facilitating access to employment for mobile and migrant workers. 
The  European  Social  Fund  (ESF)  provides  financial  support  and  help  to  increase  the 
participation of migrants in employment. 

Moreover, particular emphasis is placed on strengthening the Union’s capacity to anticipate 
labour  market  and  skills  needs.  In  2012  the  European  Vacancy  Monitor  will  be 
supplemented by the EU Skills Panorama, providing updated forecasts of skills supply and 
labour  market  needs  up  to  2020.  In  the  area  of  validation  of  diplomas,  qualifications  and 
skills within the EU, the  Professional Qualifications Directive  is a key instrument  for  intra-
EU mobility, which also applies to non-EU diplomas. Meanwhile, over-qualification or brain 
waste is a widespread and serious problem amongst non-EU migrant workers which needs to 
be further addressed. 

Regarding  the  portability  of  social  security  rights,  the  EU  rules  on  social  security 
coordination remove disadvantages and protect acquired rights for EU citizens moving within 
the EU and also for all legally resident non-EU nationals with a cross-border dimension. In 
October  2010,  six  Council  decisions  were  adopted  concerning  the  EU  position  on  social 
security coordination with Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic 
of  Macedonia  and  Israel.  When  these  decisions  are  formally  adopted  by  the  Association 
Councils,  the  EU  will  have  created  a  limited  external  social  security  coordination  system 
applying to persons — both EU nationals and nationals of these six countries — who move 
into and out of the EU. In addition, the Single Permit Directive will, once adopted, secure the 
right for all migrant workers covered by it to export their acquired pensions under the same 
conditions and at the same rates as the nationals of the Member States concerned when they 
move to a non-EU country. 

As mobility of third country nationals is closely interlinked with the common EU visa policy 
for short stays, all the possibilities under the Visa Code should be used to simplify procedures 

17 

COM(2011) 455 final. 

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and increase transparency. Local Schengen cooperation and an enhanced consular coverage in 
non-EU  countries  should  add  to  the  quality  of  services.  Future  revisions  of  EU  visa  policy 
should  take  into  account  visible  progress  within  EU  dialogues.  Moreover,  efforts  should  be 
stepped up to coordinate more closely the awarding of research grants, scholarships and 
trainee programmes and the issuing of the required visas and/or residence permits for the 
researchers concerned. 

Exchanges of  practical information on  the subjects of  recruitment, recognition of non-EU 
qualifications,  skills  matching  and  labour  market  intermediation  should  be  facilitated  by 
strengthening cooperation between the Public Employment Services in the Member States 
and encouraging cooperation between them and other employment service providers such as 
private  agencies  and  sectoral  organisations  in  EU  Member  States.  Work  already  done  on 
recognition of foreign qualifications, led by the European Training Foundation (ETF) and by 
the  ENIC-NARIC  network  with  a  view  to  implementing  the  Lisbon  Convention  on  the 
Recognition of Qualifications, should be taken into account in this context. 

to  enhance  and  facilitate  exchanges,  of  current 

Greater  mobility  for  students  and  researchers  from  third  countries  could  also  be  a 
promising path towards catering for labour market needs in Europe if some students were to 
be  able  to  work  after  completing  their  studies.  This  issue  could  be  further  explored,  taking 
into  account  Member  State  competence  and  measures  to  combat  brain  drain,  e.g.  through 
circular migration. This could be done, in particular, by making better use of existing Mobility 
Partnerships 
international  mobility 
programmes  and,  from  2014  on,  of  the  future  single  programme  for  education,  training  and 
youth,  and  Horizon  2020  (the  future  Framework  Programme  for  research  and  innovation). 
Establishment of institutional networks and twinning of universities in EU Member States 
and  priority  partner  countries  should  be  supported,  so  that  curricula  and  certification 
processes  are  better  adapted  to  the  labour  market  needs  in  both  places.  The  EU  should 
support Member States to extend their range of bilateral youth mobility agreements and also 
offer them to Mobility Partnership countries. 

In the framework of both Mobility Partnerships and Common Agendas, dedicated Migration 
and  Mobility  Resource  Centres  (MMRC)  should  be  set  up  in  the  partner  countries.  These 
should be integrated within the relevant national authorities or employment agencies, building 
upon  the  experiences  gained  from  the  EU-Moldova  Mobility  Partnership  and  CIGEM  in 
Mali18. Focusing on migrants’ needs they should (1) serve as a one-stop shop for individuals 
seeking  information  and  support  on  validation  of  their  qualifications,  skills  upgrading  and 
skills needs at national or regional levels or in the EU and (2) provide pre-departure, return 
and  reintegration  measures.  The  EU  Immigration  Portal  would  also  be  a  useful  information 
tool  for  this  purpose.  The  MMRCs  should  assist  the  relevant  authorities  in  the  partner 
countries  and  EU  Member  States,  including  Public  Employment  Services  with  a  view  to 
improving  labour  matching  and  supporting  positive  development  outcomes.  In  the  medium 
term, these centres should also be linked up with the Common Visa Application Centres and 
with the EU Delegations to enhance  and  facilitate visa  procedures for specific categories of 
third country nationals. 

The Immigration Liaison Officers (ILOs) network should be supplemented with migration 
experts, including seconded national experts from Member States in EU Delegations, who can 

18 

The  two  examples  are  the  project  on  Strengthening  Moldova’s  capacity  to  manage  labour  and  return 
migration within the framework of the Mobility Partnership with the EU, and the Centre d’Information 
et de Gestion des Migrations, based in Mali. 

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follow  migration  matters  from  a  broader,  more  comprehensive  policy  perspective  than 
consular services normally do. Every opportunity to involve EU agencies in such exchanges 
of information and closer cooperation with non-EU countries should be seized. 

Recommendations 

Under the first pillar, the GAMM should focus on the following priorities: 

•  Dedicated  mobility  offers  for  young  people,  students,  artists  and  cultural  workers, 
researchers and academics in the form of additional scholarships, fellowship and trainee 
programmes  and  youth  mobility  agreements.  Commitments  to  apply  fully  and,  if 
appropriate, possibly amend the Directives on students and researchers. 

•  Full application of the Visa Code and possible amendments to improve local Schengen 
cooperation and to enhance consular coverage, where relevant by establishing Common 
Visa Application Centres. 

•  Twinning  between  higher  education  and  training  institutions,  to  encourage  cross-
border cooperation and exchanges on aligning curricula, certification and qualifications 
thereof  (through  effective  quality  assurance, 
and  ensuring  efficient  recognition 
comparable and consistent use of EU transparency tools and linking qualifications to the 
European  Qualifications Framework) with a view to improving long-term labour market 
complementarity. 

•  Encouraging Public Employment Services at EU level to monitor recruitment procedures 
and  exchange  good  practice  on  employment  and  labour  matching  between  Member 
States, counterparts in partner countries and other stakeholders. 

• 

In  the  framework  of  both  Mobility  Partnerships  and  Common  Agendas,  dedicated 
Migration  and  Mobility  Resource  Centres  should  be  set  up  in  the  partner  countries. 
Building on information available from the EU Immigration Portal, they would facilitate 
pre-departure  measures  focusing  on  skills  matching,  skills  upgrading  and  proficiency  in 
EU  languages  in  cooperation  with  Public  Employment  Services,  EU  agencies  and  other 
stakeholders. 

Second  pillar:  Preventing  and  reducing  irregular  migration  and  trafficking  in  human 
beings 

The  legitimacy  of  any  framework  for  migration  and  mobility  depends  on  effectively 
addressing irregular migration. Safe and secure migration is undermined by those who operate 
outside  the  legal  framework.  Intra-EU  cooperation  is  essential,  and  so  is  the  goal  of 
reinforcing partnerships with non-EU countries in order to ensure that mobility and migration 
can be organised in an orderly fashion. 

Migration and mobility are embedded in the broader political, economic, social and security 
context. A broad understanding of security means that irregular migration also needs to be 
considered in connection with organised crime and lack of rule of law and justice, feeding on 
corruption and inadequate regulation. 

The EU should continue to give priority to transfers of skills, capacity and resources to its 
partners, in order to prevent and reduce trafficking, smuggling and irregular migration, and to 
strengthening  integrated  border  management.  Within  the  EU,  implementation  of  the 

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Directives on Return and Employer Sanctions should be ensured and combined with other 
relevant measures in closer interaction with non-EU partners. 

The  dialogue  and  cooperation  with  partners  should  strive  to  protect  the  human  rights  of  all 
migrants throughout their migration process. Unscrupulous employers should be targeted and 
action  taken  to  prevent  and  prosecute  criminal  acts  and  human  rights  violations  committed 
against migrants. Measures should be taken to ensure decent living conditions for migrants in 
reception  centres  and  to  avoid  arbitrary  or  indefinite  detention.  Special  attention  should  be 
given to unaccompanied minors in the context of implementation of the Action Plan adopted 
in 2010. 

The capability of FRONTEX to work in partnership with non-EU authorities should be fully 
utilised. Immigration Liaison  Officers (ILOs) should  expand their exchanges  of  information 
with  their  counterparts  to  more  partner  countries.  There  is  a  need  for  closer  cooperation 
between  the  relevant  EU  agencies19  which  would  allow  better  exchanges  of  information  on 
migration and organised crime. 

It  is  increasingly  clear  that  document  security  and  identity  theft  are  areas  where  closer 
cooperation  could  bring  mutual  benefits.  Frequent  travellers  (business  people,  government 
officials, students and researchers) from non-EU partner countries that have biometric travel 
documents and enhanced document security in place could be offered easier access to the EU. 
Forthcoming  Commission  proposals  on  smart  borders,  including  an  entry/exit  system  and  a 
registered travellers programme, should pave the way for such developments. 

Linking  readmission  agreements  to  visa  facilitation  agreements  as  part  of  the  EU’s 
external migration policy can be of benefit to non-EU countries by providing opportunities for 
mobility while safeguarding security and reducing risks of irregular migration. Readmission 
and return should be firmly embedded in the broader Global Approach. The Commission will 
facilitate country-specific initiatives to monitor some of the returns. 

The EU policy on trafficking in human beings (THB) takes a holistic approach focusing on 
prevention,  prosecution  of  criminals  and  protection  of  victims.  This  integrated  view  is 
consistent with a human rights- and victim-centred approach, taking into account the gender 
perspective. It aims to prevent this crime and give people who have been reduced to a slavery-
like  condition  an  opportunity  to  recover  and  to  be  re-integrated  into  society.  Taking  into 
account the Council’s recommendations20, THB will continue to be systematically included in 
relevant  EU  agreements  and  strategic  partnerships  with  non-EU  countries  and  also  in  all 
political  dialogues  on  migration  and  mobility.  A  multi-stakeholder  approach  across  relevant 
policy  fields  will  be  stressed.  Capacity-building  will  be  a  central  component,  as  will 
compliance  with  international  standards  in  this  area,  in  particular  ratification  and 
implementation of the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and its protocols on 
THB and smuggling of migrants. The new integrated strategy on THB (planned for 2012) will 
provide for closer coordination and greater coherence between stakeholders. 

19 

20 

Relevant  agencies  are  FRONTEX,  EUROPOL,  EUROJUST,  the  European  Police  College,  the 
European  Asylum  Support  Office,  the  Fundamental  Rights  Agency  and  the  European  Institute  for 
Gender Equality. 
European Council: First implementation report on the Action-Oriented Paper on strengthening the EU 
external dimension on action against trafficking in human beings. 

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Recommendations 

Under the second pillar, the GAMM should focus on the following priorities: 

•  Transfer of skills, capacity and resources to partners to prevent and reduce trafficking, 
smuggling  and  irregular  migration,  to  ensure  return  and  readmission,  and  to  strengthen 
integrated border management. 

•  Cooperation  on  document  security,  paving  the  way  for  visa  facilitation  for  frequent 

travellers from priority partner countries. 

• 

Initiatives to provide better protection for and empower victims of trafficking in human 
beings. 

•  Precise  monitoring  of  implementation  by  the  EU  Member  States  of  the  Directives  on 

return and employer sanctions, in close cooperation with partners. 

•  Strategic  use  of  the  new  possibilities  for  FRONTEX  and  more  comprehensive  thematic 
exchanges  of  information  between  EU  Immigration  Liaison  Officers  (ILOs)  and 
counterparts in more partner countries. 

Third pillar: Promoting international protection and enhancing the external dimension 
of asylum policy 

The EU needs to enhance solidarity with refugees and displaced persons and such efforts 
should  become  an  integral  part  of  the  GAMM.  The  EU  should  increase  cooperation  with 
relevant non-EU countries in order to strengthen their asylum systems and national asylum 
legislation  and  to  ensure  compliance  with  international  standards.  This  could  enable  these 
countries  to  offer  a  higher  standard  of  international  protection  for  asylum-seekers  and 
displaced  people  who  remain  in  the  region  of  origin  of  conflicts  or  persecution.  The  EU 
should encourage its partner countries to incorporate this dimension in their national poverty 
reduction  strategies,  where  appropriate.  These  strategies  should  also  look  at  the  relations 
between refugees and displaced persons and local populations where relevant, in line with the 
2009  Stockholm  Programme,  which  stressed that the external dimension  of  asylum  must  be 
built up in order to contribute more effectively to solving protracted refugee situations. 

The EU should also encourage non-EU countries to address the issue of stateless persons, who 
are  a  particularly  vulnerable  group,  by  taking  measures  to  reduce  statelessness.  The  EU 
should further promote the development of an international legal framework for the internally 
displaced persons (IDPs), another particularly vulnerable group. 

The  EU  should  work  with  its  partners  to  articulate  better  the  links  between  international 
protection and development. The concepts and devices for improving the transition between 
humanitarian and development aid should also be further developed. 

Asylum  policy  frameworks  and  protection  capacity  in  non-EU  countries  must  be 
strengthened.  This  is  to  be  achieved  by  means  of  more  extensive  cooperation  with  non-EU 
countries,  inter  alia  under  Regional  Protection  Programmes  (RPPs).  An  RPP  in  North 
Africa encompassing Egypt, Tunisia and Libya is one notable example in this regard. 

Gradually, the EASO should become more involved in building asylum capacity in non-EU 
countries, including support for resettlement activities. 

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RPPs  should  be  enhanced  as  the  key  instrument  for  this  new  pillar,  as  they  have  been 
underutilised up to now. Existing RPPs should be strengthened and additional RPPs should be 
proposed, where  relevant, including as  part  of  EU  migration  dialogues with the regions and 
countries  concerned.  The  RPPs  should  continue  to  focus  on  building  up  protection  capacity 
and asylum systems in partner countries and regions. Development programmes for refugees 
and  internally  displaced  persons  (IDPs)  and  disaster  risk  reduction  programmes  in  these 
regions  should  continue  and,  where  necessary,  be  enhanced,  consistent  with  and 
complementary to RPPs. An enhanced resettlement component should be added to each RPP 
as  a  sign  of  international  solidarity  and  a  key  instrument  for  pursuing  orderly  access  to 
durable solutions in the EU. 

For  many  of  the  most  vulnerable  refugees,  resettlement  remains  the  only  viable  durable 
solution. Against this background, the EU has prepared a ‘Joint EU Resettlement Programme’ 
with the aim of increasing resettlement in Europe, whilst making more strategic use of it. 
More  resettlement  places  should  be  offered  in  the  EU,  alongside  procedural  guarantees  for 
more  resettlement  cases  to  be  processed  in  the  countries  of  first  asylum.  This  requires 
increased funding, identification of procedures and improved logistical and technical capacity. 

Recommendations 

Under the third pillar, the GAMM should focus on the following priorities: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Regional Protection Programmes (RPPs) to strengthen the protection capacity and 
asylum systems of partner countries and regions. 

Support from the EASO for building asylum capacity in non-EU countries, including 
in the form of support for resettlement activities. 

Enhanced resettlement in the EU in cooperation with partners. 

Stronger  efforts  to  solve  protracted  refugee  situations,  including  targeted 
assistance for displaced persons. 

Fourth pillar: Maximising the development impact of migration and mobility 

The  EU  and  the  international  community  have  made  great  strides  to  promote  the  beneficial 
development outcomes of migration. Much progress has been made on facilitating the positive 
impact  of  remittances  and  voluntary  initiatives  by  the  diaspora.  However,  the  downsides, 
such as brain drain, social costs and dependence on foreign labour markets, also need to be 
tackled jointly in partnerships.  Procedures for access to the limited  number of opportunities 
for legal migration are often non-transparent and over-bureaucratic. As a consequence, many 
migrants  turn  to  informal  intermediaries,  often  with  links  to  organised  crime.  The  migrants 
will not only be exposed to more risks, abuse and exploitation, but will also see their potential 
savings reduced. 

Inter- and intra-regional migration in developing regions far exceeds migration to the EU. 
This  ‘south-south’  migration  often  brings  benefits  to  migrants  in  the  form  of  better  job 
opportunities  and  higher  incomes  than  available  at  home.  Here  again,  many  migrants  are 
subjected  to  exploitation,  abuse  and  deception.  Recruiters,  intermediaries,  employers  or 
organised  crime  rings  can  all  prey  on  unaware  migrants.  Making  information  and  support 
available  to  protect  the  rights  of  migrants  is  thus  of  key  importance.  The  EU  can  help 

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migrants  to  move  in  orderly  fashion  and  take  back  home  the  resources  and  skills  their 
countries of origin often badly need21. 

Much has been achieved by the EU and its partner countries on making remittance services 
cheaper,  more  transparent,  more  competitive  and  more  reliable.  Bi-annual  reports  on  policy 
coherence for development, have improved a whole-of-government approach in the EU. The 
engagement  of  diaspora  associations  in  development  of  their  home  country  has  been 
facilitated,  most  recently  by  supporting  the  setting-up  of  an  EU-wide  diaspora  platform. 
Stronger involvement of diaspora and migrant groups can also help to attain the objective 
of  the  renewed  Global  Approach  to  address,  more  systematically,  migrant  rights  and  the 
empowerment of migrants. 

Efforts to mitigate brain drain have been advanced by supporting the WHO Code of practice 
on the international recruitment of health personnel. The EU should promote Member States’ 
endeavours  to  facilitate  circular  migration  of  health  personnel,  so  that  skills  and  knowledge 
can  be  acquired  to  the  benefit  of  both  source  and  destination  countries.  The  EU  Blue  Card 
Directive  allows  Member  States  to  reject  applications  in  order  to  ensure  ethical  recruitment 
and enables the Commission to monitor application of the Directive with a view to mitigating 
brain drain. 

The EU should reinforce its support for capacity-building in partner countries. Coordination 
and  coherence  between  national  migration  and  development  policies  and  links  with 
employment  creation and  policies on education, health and housing should be strengthened. 
The sometimes overly sanguine debate on the ‘win-win potential’ needs to be better balanced 
by taking the downsides of migration seriously, in particular its social costs and the risks of 
households  becoming  dependent  on  income  from  remittances.  Partner  governments  could 
receive EU assistance to put in place national frameworks for the transfer and portability of 
pensions from abroad, taking due account of Member States’ competence in this area. 

Successful  mainstreaming  of  migration  in  development  thinking  requires  making  it  an 
integral part of a whole range of sectoral policies (on agriculture, health, education, etc.). In 
parallel,  targeted  migration-related  initiatives  should  be  promoted.  The  often  still  limited 
awareness, amongst practitioners, of the relevance of migration issues to development should 
be  addressed,  both  in  the  EU  and  in  its  partner  countries.  In  this  regard,  it  is  essential  to 
integrate challenges related to intra-regional migration as one of the issues under the GAMM, 
so  that  the  potentially  beneficial  role  of  migration  in  regional  cooperation  and  development 
can be properly identified and promoted. Partner countries should also be made more aware of 
their  possibilities  to  earmark  development  funding  for  migration-related  initiatives  in  the 
National Indicative Programmes that define their development cooperation with the EU. This 
link should be further deepened in the framework of development policy. 

Policy  coherence  can  also  be  facilitated  by  Extended  Migration  Profiles,  which  are 
increasingly  being  used  to  produce  a  better  and  more  sustainable  evidence  base  on  the 
migration and development nexus. They bring together all stakeholders in a country-specific 

21 

As  outlined  in  Commission  Communication  COM(2011) 637  on  ‘Increasing  the  Impact  of  EU 
Development  Policy:  an  Agenda for  Change’,  the  EU  assists  developing  countries  with  strengthening 
their  policies, capacity  and  activities  in  the  context  of  both  regional  and  global  mobility  of  people.  It 
supports  the  decent  work  agenda  and  social  protection  and  encourages  policies  to  facilitate  regional 
labour  mobility  and  will  support  targeted  efforts  to  make  full  use  of  the  interrelationship  between 
migration, mobility and employment. 

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process  in  order  to  identify  and  address  data  gaps  and  needs  regarding  current  migration 
patterns, labour market trends, legislation and policy frameworks, information on remittance 
flows, diasporas and other development-related data. Ownership should be in the hands of the 
partner country, and sustainability should be ensured through adequate capacity-building. 

Recommendations 

Under the fourth pillar, the GAMM should focus on the following priorities: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Promoting  the  WHO  Code  of  practice  on  the  international  recruitment  of  health 
personnel  and  monitoring  application  of  the  EU  Blue  Card  Directive  to  mitigate 
brain drain. 

Exploring setting up diaspora investment vehicles that could channel the voluntary 
contributions  by  the  diaspora  and  adding  EU  resources  to  boost  the  development-
oriented  initiatives  and  investments  in  priority  countries,  such  as  in  the  Southern 
Mediterranean. 

Private-public partnerships to engage migrant entrepreneurs and SMEs in trade, 
investment and skills transfers between EU Member States and partner countries. 

Exploring the usefulness of an annual remittances forum and recommendations by 
the end of 2012 on the basis of a study on the feasibility of a common EU portal on 
remittances. 

Assistance  to  partner  countries  to  identify  and  monitor  bona  fide  recruiters  in 
order to empower migrants, notably with a view to facilitating circular migration. 

6. 

FUNDING AND MONITORING 

Successful  implementation  of  the  Global  Approach  depends  on  adequate  funding. 
Geographical  and  thematic  financial  instruments  remain  of  key  importance  for  external 
cooperation  and  will  have  to  be  used  in  a  comprehensive  and  coherent  way,  building  on 
lessons learned from, for example, the Thematic Programme on Migration and Asylum (2007-
2013).  Future  programming  and  allocation  modalities  of  EU  external  instruments  should 
continue  to  contribute  to  the  goals  of  the  Global  Approach,  while  respecting  the  overall 
objectives of these instruments and in accordance with their rules.  

In  addition  to  these  external  instruments  and  in  line  with  the  principles  of  subsidiarity  and 
complementarity,  the  future  EU  Asylum  and  Migration  Fund  and  the  Internal  Security 
Fund (notably on border management) should also be able to cater for financing the GAMM. 
These funds will be of particular relevance for activities that primarily serve the interests of 
the  EU,  but  are  being  implemented  in  a  non-EU  country.  They  shall,  therefore,  be  used  for 
specific  activities  complementing  those  financed  under  geographical  or  other  instruments  in 
order  to  avoid  duplication,  and  in  consistency  and  coherence  with  foreign  policy 
considerations and/or development policy purposes. 

Member  States  should  continue  to  contribute  directly  to  financing  the  Global  Approach, 
e.g. when  applying  the  Global  Approach  in  their  bilateral  cooperation,  when  engaging  in 
regional  processes  and  when  participating  in  Mobility  Partnerships  and  Common  Agendas 

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with  priority  partners.  While  relations  between  the  EU  and  partner  governments  are  at  the 
core of the GAMM, the role of civil society is also important for implementation of specific 
initiatives. Their role should be reflected in the financial and contractual arrangements. 

Finally, implementation of the GAMM needs to be efficient and should include a monitoring 
process.  A  GAMM  report  should  be  adopted  every  second  year,  starting  in  June  2013.  It 
should  be  based  on  information  provided  by  Member  States,  EU  Delegations,  EU  agencies 
and  partner  countries  and  will  be  presented  under  the  responsibility  of  the  Commission  in 
association with the EEAS. 

The aim of the report will be to monitor the policy objectives outlined in this Communication 
and cover all major EU dialogue and cooperation processes. It will assess progress on the four 
pillars of the GAMM and on the tools and instruments being used by applying a comparable 
method  of  assessment  that  will  reflect  change  over  time.  The  report  will  assess  if  and  how 
targets  have  been  met  and  make  recommendations.  Information  on  progress  on  the  various 
dialogues, MPs and CAMMs should be collected and disseminated systematically, including 
on a dedicated GAMM website (with one public and one EU-internal interface, which should 
also aim to develop a network of EU focal points). A specific GAMM support project could 
be set up for this purpose. 

Recommendations 

•  The GAMM should continue to be supported by a mix of mutually reinforcing financial 

instruments, provided by both the EU and its Member States. 

•  At  EU  level  these  instruments  should  include  the  geographical  and  thematic  external 
instruments, the future Asylum and Migration Fund and the future Internal Security 
Fund. 

• 

In  order  to  ensure  transparency  and  improve  implementation,  the  results  of  the  GAMM 
should be presented in a biennial progress report, and further communicated through a 
dedicated website. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The EU is affected by a multitude of challenges and opportunities in the area of migration 
and  mobility.  To  make  the  EU  more  prosperous,  it  needs  to  become  more  competitive, 
attracting talent and investments. To manage mobility in a secure environment, the EU needs 
to  continue  its  prioritised  dialogue  and  cooperation  with  partner  countries  in  the  EU 
Neighbourhood  and  further  afield.  To  offer  international  protection  to  those  in  need,  and  to 
improve the development impact of migration and mobility for its partners, the EU must be a 
leading actor in global governance. 

The Commission is confident that the policy proposals and operational measures proposed in 
this Communication will allow the EU and its Member States to address these challenges. 

Building  on  the  comprehensive  political  and  legal  framework  for  migration  and  mobility 
presented by the Commission in its Communications of 4 and 24 May 2011, and on six years 
of experience of implementation of the previous approach, the Commission is convinced that 
it is now time for the EU to consider how to consolidate this as the overarching framework 
of  the  EU’s  external  migration  policy.  To  achieve  this  objective,  the  Global  Approach 

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should  be  firmly  embedded  in  the  EU’s  overall  foreign  policy,  including  development 
cooperation,  and  better  aligned  with  the  EU’s  internal  policy  priorities.  In  line  with  the 
Treaty of Lisbon, the EU will need to speak with one voice, also when it comes to its external 
migration policy. 

To  structure  and  facilitate  this  process,  the  EU  needs  an  agreed  strategic  policy  framework 
which  is  clear,  consistent  and  easy  to  communicate.  The  EU  will  be  better  equipped  for 
migration  governance  at  home  and  globally  only  if  it  further  reinforces  its  dialogue  and 
cooperation with partner countries. 

The  Commission  considers  that  the  new  EU  Global  Approach  to  Migration  and  Mobility 
(GAMM) represents the strategic framework which is necessary to bring added value to the 
EU’s and Member States’ action in this area. It can address the EU’s concerns and aspirations 
in  the  area  of  migration  and  mobility  more  effectively  and  more  efficiently  than  individual 
Member  States.  It  provides  valuable  support  and  impetus  for  Member  States’  bilateral  and 
national policies in this domain. The Commission, the EEAS and Member States must work 
together closely to ensure coherent action within this common EU framework. 

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ANNEX 

CONCLUSIONS OF THE CSWP ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT 

Maximising the positive impact of migration on development of partner countries (both of 
origin and destination) while limiting its negative consequences will remain a key priority of 
the  GAMM.  A  more  migrant-centred  approach  will  be  pursued  without  underestimating 
partner  countries’  responsibility  for  designing  adequate  policies.  As  for  the  traditional 
migration and development agenda, significant results have been achieved so far, but further 
challenges remain and will be tackled. 

Migration  is  now  an  integral  part  of  a  number  of  national  and  regional  development 
strategies.  Several  partner  countries  and  regions  have  been  given  support  to  develop  and 
implement their own migration strategies, to gather and analyse migration data and to build up 
the  capacity  of  the  relevant  institutions.  The  EU  will  continue  supporting  these  efforts  to 
manage migration in a coherent development framework and in line with local specifics and 
priorities. 

Development objectives are being taken into account  more  and  more  in  the  EU  and  partner 
countries’ migration policies. At the same time the migration dimension is increasingly being 
taken into account within development strategies. The EU will continue to promote the Policy 
Coherence  for  Development  agenda,  with  a  view  to  identifying  and  addressing  possible 
inconsistencies  in  the  legislation  and  policies  of  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  and  to 
reinforcing capacity and mechanisms in non-EU countries in this domain. 

The  EU  is  widely  recognised  as  a  leading  stakeholder  at  international  level  with  regard  to 
facilitating cheaper and more secure private remittance flows to developing countries while 
adding to  their  impact  on development. The European Commission has launched a study to 
help it propose new recommendations and assess the expedience and feasibility of a common 
EU  portal  on  remittances.  More  efforts  should  also  be  put  into  capacity-building  to  support 
partner countries interested in designing regulatory frameworks and into promoting financial 
literacy,  new  technologies  and  access  to  credits  to  stimulate  productive  investment  and  job 
creation.  An  annual  remittances  forum  (either  formal  or  informal)  might  be  an  idea  to 
consider.  In  any  case,  more  exchanges  of  information  between  EU  Member  States  and  the 
European Commission on the projects in the area of remittances would be required to avoid 
duplication and identify best practice. 

The EU has stepped up its efforts to support and work with diaspora groups based in Europe 
willing to contribute to development projects in their countries of origin. It is also increasingly 
supporting similar efforts by partner countries. The EU will continue to work on establishing 
a database of diaspora organisations based in the different Member States in order to engage 
them more fully in policy dialogue and disseminate information. It will continue to invest in 
leveraging  its  contribution  to  development  and  will  seek  to  harness  its  partners’  knowledge 
and expertise better, notably for supporting entrepreneurs and SMEs. The EU will also assess 
how  to  contribute  more  to  adding  to  the  value  of  migrants’  skills  and  knowledge  in  their 
countries  of  origin  and  whether  to  support  diaspora  volunteering  and  diaspora  funds  put  in 
place by partner countries. 

Some  progress  has  been  achieved  on  fighting  brain  drain,  especially  in  the  health  sector, 
while support for labour market policies and decent work in partner countries is another key 
strategy  to  help  them  attract  and  retain  skilled  workers.  The  EU  will  continue  to  analyse 
examples of brain gain and assess how to scale up successful ones and also how to fight brain 

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waste. Including strategies for retention of skilled workers in political dialogues on migration 
with partner countries could be one option to consider. 

Circular mobility has been encouraged by a number of national and EU legislative measures 
and by specific projects. Greater portability of social security rights should be promoted as 
a  key  incentive  to  circular  migration  and,  more  generally,  to  legal  labour  mobility.  The  EU 
and its Member States should continue to establish legal frameworks that provide for multiple 
entry  permits  and  periods  of  absence  from  the  country  of  temporary  residence  so  that  the 
benefits  of  migration  can  be  maximised,  for  the  migrants,  source  countries  and  destination 
countries alike. 

Going  beyond  the  traditional  agenda,  the  EU  is  working  towards  putting  in  place  a  more 
comprehensive  framework  to  accompany  and  protect  migrants  along  their  migratory  route, 
which should also take into account the social consequences of migration. 

This  includes  addressing  the  consequences  of  emigration  flows  in  countries  of  origin,  in 
particular  by  increasing  knowledge  about,  and  mitigating,  the  adverse  effects  suffered  by 
children  and  families  left  behind  and  taking  into  account  the  potentially  negative  social 
impact  of  remittances  on  families  and  communities.  The  EU  is  also  supporting  additional 
efforts being made on sustainable returns, including on securing livelihoods and reintegration 
into the national labour market. 

This approach includes protecting the human rights of all migrants in transit by focusing on: 
protecting  vulnerable  migrants  (unaccompanied  minors,  asylum-seekers,  victims  of 
trafficking, stranded migrants, etc.) and on the specific needs of women; supporting capacity-
building  for  law  enforcement  forces  and  referral  systems;  supporting  prevention,  protection 
and  prosecution  of  criminal  acts  and  human  rights  violations  committed  against  migrants, 
including those travelling irregularly; and guaranteeing decent living conditions for migrants 
in reception centres in non-EU countries. 

Stepping  up  efforts  to  improve  integration  of  migrants  in  countries  of  destination  is  a  key 
component  of  this  approach,  as  it  is  linked  to  diaspora  networks  and  trade,  skills  and 
investment flows. Understanding of and action need to be improved on social integration and 
adaptation  of  social  policies  (especially  health  and  education),  economic  and  labour 
integration and fighting xenophobia and social exclusion. In this regard, mainstreaming of the 
specific  needs  of  forced  migrants  in  non-EU  countries’  development  policies  should  be 
enhanced. 

In  order  to  make  operational  cooperation  more  efficient  and  to  achieve  these  goals,  efforts 
will  be  made  to  support  EU  Delegations,  including  specific  training  and  exchanges  of 
knowledge  and  experience  on  migration  issues,  and  to  coordinate  and  mobilise  the  EU 
financial instruments available better, including via more exchanges with Member States on 
their own migration and development projects. 

The recent consultations held by the Commission confirm that the reality and challenges faced 
by partner countries regarding the link between development and migration are much broader 
and more complex than the policy area addressed so far. 

Migration  has  a  significant  impact  on  the  development  of  non-EU  countries.  Several 
governments  have  based  their  economic  development  model  partly  on  immigration  or 
emigration,  without  taking  into  account  either  the  economic  and  social  costs  and 
consequences or the expected contribution to growth and sustainable development. Numerous 

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non-EU  countries  face  migration  flows  that  are  essential  for  their  economies  but  lack  a 
structured and targeted policy framework. Awareness about synergies and interdependencies 
between  migration  and  other  policies,  such  as  domestic  employment  policy  or  trade 
agreements,  is  often  lacking.  The  influence  of  a  number  of  public  policies  on  migration 
patterns is usually overlooked. In case of crises or conflicts, variations in flows are difficult to 
cope with and could destabilise economies and weaken social cohesion. The predominance of 
the  informal  sector  in  many  developing  countries  contributes  to  employment  of  irregular 
workers  with  all  the  subsequent  problems  of  exploitation,  trafficking,  smuggling  and  social 
consequences (e.g. ‘social dumping’). 

There is a growing need to promote migration governance from a development perspective 
at all levels and to improve the understanding of the development and migration nexus, be it 
in  migration/asylum  government  policies  or  in  other  sectors  that  may  impact  on  or  be 
impacted  by  migration.  The  reflection  on  those  aspects  should  be  in  line  with  the  Policy 
Coherence  for  Development  Work  Programme,  as  well  as  to  respond  to  evolving  needs  of 
partner countries.  

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