On the Usefulness (or otherwise) of a Strategic Debate on Migration
The European Council has planned to hold a strategic debate on migration at its meeting on 16 October 2026. One might, of course, view this strategic debate as reflecting the European Union’s desire to strengthen its cooperation and address migration challenges collectively and strategically, as well as the need to coordinate Member States’ policies.
However, this decision was taken at the initiative of European leaders, notably Mette Frederiksen and Giorgia Meloni, who are calling for an increasingly restrictive approach to migration and asylum. The disapproval, by a majority of them, of Spain’s decision to regularise the status of 500,000 irregular migrants, and their desire to swiftly establish return platforms in third countries following the entry into force of certain provisions of the new Return Regulation, were at the root of this request.
CLICK “VIEW PDF” BELOW FOR ACCESS TO FULL ARTICLE
This article was drafted by Monique Pariat with contributions from members of the Jacques Delors Institute’s migration group: Jérôme Vignon (Jacques Delors Institute), Jean-Louis De Brouwer (Egmont Institute) and Judith Kohlenberger (Jacques Delors Centre & Form/WU Wien).
(Photo credit: Canva Teams/Unsplash – Daniel Schludi)