Africa must stop migrants reaching Europe to keep EU cash, plans show – Brussels wants to link development aid to measures to stem migrant flows to Europe.

>African countries will have to stem migrant departures if they want to continue receiving EU development aid, the European Commission will suggest as part of its seven-year budget plan to be unveiled next week.
The idea, which is outlined in an internal draft document seen by POLITICO, links the EU’s help for poorer countries to concrete results in preventing people coming to the bloc.

>**It reflects the EU executive’s hardening approach toward migration** after right-wing parties secured substantial support in last year’s European election.

> In the plan, the Commission suggests potentially cutting funds to poorer countries if they don’t play their part in reducing migration flows.

>“It shall combine all appropriate tools and the necessary leverage through a flexible incitative approach with, as appropriate within this context, possible changes in [the] allocation of funding related to migration,” the Commission wrote in the document laying out its blueprint on foreign aid in the new budget cycle, which covers the seven years from 2028.

>In doing so, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is yielding to pressure from her center-right European People’s Party and a majority of countries spanning Italy to Denmark.

> They are keen to replicate and expand the EU’s controversial 2023 deal with Tunisia to stem migrant departures also to other African countries.

>“Increased coherence between migration, asylum and external policies is needed to ensure that the Union’s external assistance supports partner countries to manage migration more effectively,” the document reads.

>However, in order for these ideas to take effect, von der Leyen will have to convince skeptics in the left-leaning Socialist and Democrats and the Greens, whose support is needed to approve the new budget in the European Parliament.

> This would be a big change from the EU’s current aid model, which largely comes without strings attached.

>Von der Leyen will unveil the budget proposal next Wednesday.

> In doing so, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is yielding to pressure from her center-right European People’s Party and a majority of countries spanning Italy to Denmark.

Denmark isn’t center right. It’s a left of center government. Same for the UK. Attempts to paint this as some right wing only cause is going to be highly counterproductive.

If you want to stem the flow of immigrants from a country the last thing you should do is put conditions on the developmental aid you are giving them. Rather give them more aid so they can improve their infrastructure and institutions so fewer people want to leave in the first place.

Or just treat immigrants like the boon of human capital that they are, you should want more of them, always.