On 26 November 2024, the European Commission launched a new programme to support a Talent Partnership between the EU and Pakistan. The programme, that is funded with EUR 3 million from the EU, will enable the EU, its Member States, and Pakistan to develop a coherent set of actions on labour mobility and skills development.

Tijdens deze conferentie zal worden onderzocht hoe de voordelen van externe samenwerking op het gebied van migratie kunnen worden gemaximaliseerd. Een breed scala aan nationale en internationale deskundigen, waaronder beleidsmakers uit EU- en niet-EU-landen, mensen uit de praktijk en onderzoekers, zal discussiëren over de uitdagingen en onderdelen van effectieve migratiepartnerschappen, waarbij mogelijkheden voor zowel evenwichtige als alomvattende samenwerking en innovatieve benaderingen worden verkend.

On 21 October 2024, the European Ombudsman closed her inquiry on respect for human rights in the context of the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). She concluded, inter alia, that the Commission should set out the criteria on which the suspension of contracts due to violations of human rights in the implementation of EU-funded projects in Tunisia would be based. These criteria should be made public.

According to a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) projects have reported the delivery of many of the planned outputs and partially achieved their objectives. Despite this, the financial support from the EUTF support is still insufficiently focused on the agreed priorities. Furthermore, there are challenges in relation to reporting, ensuring the sustainability of results and safeguarding human rights.

In a press release from 9 September 2024, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor reacted to the Hungarian government’s recent threats to send migrants to Brussels. She advocated for a joint, coordinated policy, in which respect for European values and international obligations are central. 

Op 1 juli 2024 heeft Hongarije het roterende voorzitterschap van de Raad van de Europese Unie overgenomen voor een periode van zes maanden. Tot de zeven prioriteiten van Hongarije voor zijn EU-voorzitterschap behoren onder andere "het bestrijden van illegale migratie" en het "een stap dichterbij brengen" van de landen van de Westelijke Balkan bij het EU-lidmaatschap.

Fifteen European countries plead with the European Commission to go beyond the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. They push for comprehensive, mutually beneficial and durable partnerships with third countries located along the migratory routes. They also want to inter alia explore solutions aimed at rescuing migrants on the high seas and bringing them to a predetermined place of safety in a partner country outside the EU.

On 2 May 2024, President von der Leyen was with Cypriot President Christodoulides in Beirut to announce a financial package of EUR 1 billion for Lebanon to contribute to the country's socio-economic stability and to migration management. The deal has already received criticism from various quarters.

During the first half of 2024, pivotal policy and political developments in the area of asylum and migration were put on the agenda, including the voting of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum by the European Parliament, and the European elections. At this critical juncture, there is a need for credible evidence, established expertise and open dialogue on the direction and shape of future policymaking. Within this context, MIGNEX is convening a high-level Policy Conference on EU migration and development policy.

At the request of the European Ombudsman, an inquiry was launched into the European Commission's approach to ensuring respect for human rights in the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) “on a strategic and global partnership”. This inquiry follows concerns about the absence of a prior human rights impact assessment in the context of the Memorandum.

In a joint Declaration signed in Cairo on 17 March 2024, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the European Union agreed to elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic and comprehensive partnership. The document identifies specific areas of cooperation, including migration and mobility.

According to data collected by IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, 2023, with at least 8565 deaths and disappearances, is the deadliest year since the project's inception in 2014. IOM highlights the urgent need for action to prevent further loss of life.