SPD High-level conference on Migration and Immigration issues

During the SPD high-level conference, representatives from the German parliament and delegations from different ministries addressed the changing dynamics in migration discourse in Germany and Europe. In addition, the relevance of migration in the recently concluded German and European Parliament elections was stressed by all speakers during the different sessions. In several thematic workshops, new approaches to migration governance between Germany and partner countries were discussed. One of the rather new instruments – namely: bilateral migration agreements – prominently featured during the conference. FES AMPC guests stressed the importance of more transparent and inclusive negotiation processes as well as the need to better resprect also the specific situation in the partner countries. There have to be clear and understandable processes and better regulated legal pathways for labour migration if both sides are to gain from human mobility.

The roundtable at the FES Berlin office on “Outsourcing responsibilities? Debating European migration policies towards African countries” was attended by think tanks and international organizations based in Germany. The principal contributors during the roundtable were Mrs. Anna Terron Cusi, former Secretary of State for Immigration and Emigration of the Government of Spain, and Dr. Abdourahamane Idrissa Abdoulaye who works as a Senior Researcher in the University of Leiden. While Mrs. Terron spoke about the changing political dynamics at the European Union level focusing on some of the most recent developments with regards to migration issues - including but not limited to the externalization of asylum processes. The input from Dr. Idrissa on the other hand focused on the counterproductive approaches of the EU to externalize migration governance and increased securitization of migration instruments by citing the example of Agadez in Niger - an important transit city in intra-regional migration and trade. These inputs were further strengthened by discussions among the FES delegation and participants of the roundtable.