Reinforcing development cooperation to address irregular population movements and their root causes in partner countries

P10_TA(2026)0205

Reinforcing development cooperation to address irregular population movements and their root causes in partner countries

Committee on Development

PE776.883

European Parliament resolution of 16 June 2026 on reinforcing development cooperation to address irregular population movements and their root causes in partner countries (2025/2111(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Articles 79 and 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

– having regard to Articles 3(5) and 21 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),

– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 30 June 2021 entitled ‘Applying the Human Rights Based Approach to international partnerships – An updated Toolbox for placing rights-holders at the centre of EU’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation’ (SWD(2021)0179),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Global Europe (COM(2025)0551),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on asylum and migration management, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1147 and (EU) 2021/1060 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 604/2013,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 11 March 2025 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common system for the return of third-country nationals staying illegally in the Union, and repealing Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and the Council, Council Directive 2001/40/EC and Council Decision 2004/191/EC (COM(2025)0101),

– having regard to the Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part (the Samoa Agreement),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 27 April 2022 on attracting skills and talent to the EU (COM(2022)0657),

– having regard to the Pact for the Mediterranean,

– having regard to the joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission of 7 June 2017 on the New European Consensus on Development – ‘Our world, our dignity, our future’,

– having regard to the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and European Court of Auditors special report 17/2024 of 25 September 2024 entitled ‘The EU trust fund for Africa – Despite new approaches, support remained unfocused’,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 June 2025 entitled ‘European Water Resilience Strategy’ (COM(2025)0280),

– having regard to its resolution of 7 May 2025 on the European water resilience strategy,

– having regard to the joint communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 1 December 2021 entitled ‘The Global Gateway’ (JOIN(2021)0030),

– having regard to the joint communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 2 October 2024 entitled ‘Building sustainable international partnerships as a Team Europe’ (JOIN(2024)0025),

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 17 October 2024 on migration,

– having regard to UN General Assembly resolution 73/195 of 19 December 2018 entitled ‘Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration’,

– having regard to UN General Assembly resolution 71/1 of 19 September 2016 entitled ‘New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants’,

– having regard to UN General Assembly resolution 70/1 entitled ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 in New York and establishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular to SDG 10.7,

– having regard to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951, and its 1967 New York Protocol,

– having regard to the guidelines of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on migration-related activities in official development assistance (ODA) and the associated toolkit,

– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950,

– having regard to the study conducted for its Committee on Development on the role of EU development cooperation in addressing irregular migration in Africa,

– having regard to its resolution of 25 March 2021 on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Development (A10-0147/2026),

A. whereas migration and mobility, peace, good governance, stability, inclusive growth and sustainable development are strongly interlinked; whereas migration is driven by both macro- and micro-level factors such as armed conflict, political instability, economic hardship, lack of opportunities and poverty, limited access to social protection mechanisms, inadequate service provision, marginalisation, discrimination against or persecution of vulnerable people, including with regard to their freedom of religion or belief, food insecurity and scarce access to clean water, and environmental degradation and climate change;

B. whereas irregular population movements include different categories of migrants, such as refugees and asylum seekers seeking international protection; whereas applicants for international protection can remain in the Member States responsible, pending a decision on their application;

C. whereas development cooperation plays a fundamental role in eradicating poverty, addressing fragile contexts, promoting human development and sustainability in all its dimensions, addressing global challenges through international partnerships that uphold and promote European values and interests, and contributing to peace and prosperity in the world;

D. whereas EU development policy fosters sustainable development and stability in developing countries, with the ultimate goal of eradicating extreme poverty in line with the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, as per Article 208 TFEU, while upholding the principle of policy coherence for development;

E. whereas development cooperation must be based on verifiable results and on a concrete shared commitment to sustainable development;

F. whereas the EUTF was created to address the root causes of instability, forced displacement and irregular migration and to contribute to better migration management; whereas the European Court of Auditors found in its review that the EUTF fell short of achieving many of its objectives because effective strategies were not always clearly identified;

G. whereas since 2015, the EU has been facing unprecedented migration flows, the management of which has required sustained effort from Member States, and whereas it is therefore necessary to strengthen European development policies to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, given that over 8,5 million requests for asylum were submitted in EU Member States between 2015 and 2024; whereas the irregular border crossings at the EU’s external borders fell by over one quarter (26 %) in 2025 to almost 178 000; whereas a majority of migrants coming to Europe arrive through legal channels; whereas SDG 10 target 7 calls for countries to facilitate the orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people through planned and well-managed migration policies;

H. whereas 4,2 million people migrated to the EU from non-EU countries in 2024;

I. whereas many countries of origin of asylum applicants are low- and middle-income countries; whereas acceptance rates for asylum seekers from these countries vary considerably;

J. whereas in 2024, EU countries granted protection status to 437 900 asylum seekers, up 6,9 % compared with 2023 (409 530); whereas this was the highest number since the peaks recorded after the refugee crisis related to the war in Syria in 2016 and 2017; whereas the recognition rate at the EU level, meaning the share of positive decisions among the total number of asylum decisions, was 51,4 % for first instance decisions in 2024;

K. whereas in 2024, 124 000 non-EU citizens were refused entry into the EU, 919 000 were found without status, 453 000 were issued return decisions and around 110 000 were effectively returned to a country outside the EU; whereas roughly 20 % of those who were issued return decisions were actually returned;

L. whereas the most frequent international migration journeys are between neighbouring countries; whereas the large majority of refugees, people in need of international protection and internally displaced people, are hosted in low- and middle-income countries; whereas the economic burden on those countries is heavy and it affects their own social and economic cohesion and development; whereas development cooperation therefore plays a crucial role in supporting displaced populations and host communities;

M. whereas Africa is facing internal migration, with about 80 % of all African migration occurring within the continent; whereas in 2024, sub-Saharan Africa recorded 19.3 million new internal displacements, 11,5 million of which were caused by conflict and 7,8 million by disasters; whereas the total number of internally displaced people in Africa reached 38,8 million between 2015 and 2024, accounting for 46 % of the global total, with 68 % of them coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan;

N. whereas as of June 2025, 117,3 million people had been forced to flee their homes globally due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order; whereas 42,5 million of these were refugees, 67,8 million were internally displaced people, and 8,42 million were asylum seekers;

O. whereas the Global Trends Report and surveys of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) show that most refugees and displaced people do not want to leave their countries but are compelled by threats such as conflict, persecution, violence or extreme hardship; whereas a 2023 UNHCR survey found that the vast majority of refugees would prefer to remain in their communities if their security and livelihoods were guaranteed;

P. whereas development cooperation plays a fundamental role in poverty reduction and addressing situations of fragility by supporting human development, promoting and supporting the principles of democracy, the rule of law, gender equality, human rights and fundamental rights, and by strengthening law enforcement as well as creating sustainable economic opportunities, enhancing governance and fostering peace and stability, thus addressing the root causes of irregular migration;

Q. whereas the improvement of living conditions, education and job prospects in countries of origin is key to ensuring that people can build a future for themselves in their own communities rather than being forced to migrate; whereas targeted and effective cooperation can therefore reduce incentives for irregular migration by promoting stability, security and self-sufficiency in partner countries;

R. whereas increased fragility, also in relation to climate change and environmental degradation, and the depletion and overexploitation of natural resources, may have an impact on migration; whereas 90 % of all natural disasters are water-related, with possible impacts on food insecurity, increased societal conflict and migration;

S. whereas high levels of food insecurity lead to higher levels of migration across borders, with each 1 % increase in food insecurity in a population compelling 1,9 % more people to migrate; whereas, while economic and environmental drivers do not alone constitute grounds for asylum, they significantly contribute to vulnerability factors that may require an international comprehensive protection-oriented response;

T. whereas migration flows are often linked to the scarcity of natural resources, including water; whereas 2,2 billion individuals worldwide still lack access to safe drinking water; whereas the European water resilience strategy aims at promoting water resilience and ensuring access to improved drinking water and sanitation for at least 70 million individuals through reinforced country and regional engagement under the Global Gateway;

U. whereas the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum emphasises the importance of the external dimension of migration by developing comprehensive partnerships based on political dialogue, mutual commitment and a whole-of-route approach;

V. whereas the Pact for the Mediterranean calls for the extension of Erasmus+ to several countries in the Middle East and Africa to connect young people, and support a more integrated and inclusive higher education and skills development environment; whereas the Pact also calls for the scaling up of talent partnerships, including through the launch of the EU Talent Pool to facilitate links between EU employers and job seekers from partner countries;

W. whereas the Global Gateway strategy and human development investments should offer an opportunity to align development cooperation with partner countries’ priorities, including migration, by promoting job creation, education, vocational training, democratic values and high standards, strengthening good governance and transparency and sustainable investments, including on water security, in countries of origin and transit;

X. whereas the Global Gateway strategy should also aim to promote sustainable and trusted partnerships in green energy and infrastructure; whereas climate adaptation and renewable energy investment are essential for tackling the socio-economic drivers of migration;

Y. whereas economic cooperation and private investment are important tools for reducing poverty and increasing self-sufficiency, stimulating sustainable local growth in partner countries;

Z. whereas industrial development has proven to be one of the most powerful ways to lift people out of poverty; whereas investing in productivity capabilities in a socially responsible and sustainable way can generate job opportunities and can have a multiplier effect;

AA. whereas human trafficking and smuggling are gross violations of fundamental rights and deprive people of their dignity, freedom and fundamental rights; whereas criminal human trafficking and smuggling networks exploit migrants by profiting off dangerous journeys;

AB. whereas some countries lack the tools and resources to prevent and combat these crimes; whereas international partnerships can effectively contribute to the fight against human trafficking and smuggling;

AC. whereas development cooperation plays an essential role in contributing to addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, as well as combating the smuggling of human beings, protecting refugees and people in need of international protection, supporting refugee-hosting countries and developing legal migration pathways;

AD. whereas security, stability, territorial integrity and good governance are prerequisites for sustainable development measures and whereas the EU should also support partner countries in strengthening law enforcement capacities and border management, and combating organised crime;

AE. whereas effective migration management also requires stronger cooperation with countries of origin and transit, and the dismantling of criminal networks that exploit vulnerable people; whereas support for local development and stability in partner countries helps address the root causes of migration in a sustainable manner;

AF. whereas European support for functioning asylum systems in third countries as part of development cooperation is vitally important for the international protection of asylum seekers;

AG. whereas return and reintegration policies must fully uphold human rights; whereas cooperation on return and reintegration can bring mutual benefits when it takes into account voluntary, dignified and sustainable return to countries of origin;

AH. whereas readmission agreements and innovative tailor-made projects aimed at reintegrating migrants into their countries of origin form an integral part of effective cooperation with partner countries;

AI. whereas development cooperation plays a crucial role in supporting the socio-economic integration of displaced populations and host communities and the protection of people in vulnerable situations, including women, children and persons with disabilities;

AJ. whereas migration can contribute to sustainable development and inclusive growth both in countries of origin and in destination countries, as well as within and across regions; whereas migration has an economic impact both on the country of destination and the country of origin; whereas this impact may be seen in migrants’ contribution to the public finances, employment and job creation, as well as in the role of diaspora communities in supporting the economic development of their countries of origin;

AK. whereas diaspora communities play an important role in the development of partner countries, especially in fostering trade and economic development, as well as in addressing a range of issues related to migration and mobility; whereas the EU Global Diaspora Facility can play a key role in this context;

AL. whereas brain drain may pose challenges for third countries in achieving their policy objectives related to both development and migration;

Interlinkages between migration and development cooperation

1. Underlines the interlinkage between migration and development cooperation and calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to commit to policy coherence for development in its migration policies, in full respect of human rights and the UN 2030 Agenda;

2. Stresses that development cooperation and the EU’s foreign and security policy must be always elaborated and implemented in a fully coherent manner, with a pragmatic and mutually beneficial, results-oriented approach aimed at ensuring stability and economic opportunities in the partner countries, including countries of origin of and transit for migration flows;

3. Stresses that development cooperation should prioritise poverty eradication, inequality reduction and sustainable development, in line with the SDGs, conflict prevention and peacebuilding via economic empowerment, governance reforms and the promotion of human rights in partner countries while also prioritising long-term investments based on partner countries’ development priorities and needs, including when addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, among other objectives;

4. Recalls that women and girls are often disproportionately affected by crises and poverty; calls on the Commission, therefore, to apply a human-rights-based, gender-responsive and vulnerability-sensitive approach in development programmes, underlining the importance of identifying human rights risks, taking mitigating action and ensuring that a particular focus is put on all people in vulnerable situations – including persons with disabilities, older people, marginalised communities and women, girls and young people – especially since the role of women in fragile contexts and peacebuilding, conflict prevention and sustainable development is crucial, as they often act as frontline responders and can be essential catalysers of change, resilience and recovery; highlights that women’s/inclusive participation in decision-making, mediation, climate action and community development leads to more effective and sustainable outcomes;

5. Highlights the importance of a Team Europe approach that ensures coherence between the EU institutions and the Member States working on the external dimension of migration; underlines that Team Europe should coordinate political, diplomatic, financial and technical efforts to develop and deepen comprehensive partnerships that support partner countries in managing migration in a safe, orderly, regular and responsible way by applying an effective human-rights-based and human-centred approach that also addresses the needs of refugees and internally displaced people;

6. Stresses that with a view to preventing corruption and avoiding mismanagement, the Commission should ensure that clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are in place in order to provide effective accountability and transparency in the implementation of the EU budget, including when addressing the link between development and the root causes of migration;

7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance political dialogue with third countries, to strengthen and develop comprehensive and mutually beneficial approaches on a country-by-country basis that take into account the specific contexts and development and migration needs of countries of origin and transit, especially on human development, decent work, social inclusion, and the protection of migrants, refugees and internally displaced people; stresses that such cooperation should be based on solidarity, shared responsibility and respect for human rights;

8. Emphasises the need for a clear understanding of migrant settlements and their local effects; calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop a strategy highlighting the need for a local perspective, to strengthen local ownership and build on existing regional priorities, particularly by supporting intra-continental migration systems;

9. Calls on the Commission to prioritise fragile geographical contexts by also taking into account migration-specific data and research-based information to better identify partner countries’ needs and target their priorities, including on irregular migration and forced displacement;

10. Underlines that the Global Gateway can play a key role in fostering sustainable economic development and job creation in partner countries, thereby empowering local communities and enabling individuals to actively contribute to the development of both their countries of origin and host communities, thus addressing the root causes of irregular migration;

11. Underlines the need to ensure greater private sector involvement, to diversify and implement legal pathways, recognise skills, engage EU development banks, and develop innovative approaches to blending funds within the Team Europe framework and while contributing to the Global Gateway; encourages the participation of the European private sector in development projects in partner countries, ensuring support for a safe and transparent investment framework that facilitates the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises and the creation of local production chains;

12. Underlines that water scarcity, environmental and land degradation, deforestation, and other climate-related disasters are factors behind migration flows, including forced displacement; stresses that individuals displaced by environmental degradation and climate-induced disasters require appropriate support; calls on the Commission and the Member States to prioritise investments in sustainable natural resource management within development programmes, including water and soil conservation, reforestation, climate-resilient agriculture and renewable energy, in order to strengthen social cohesion and communities’ resilience, prevent tensions over natural resources and increase people’s opportunities to build sustainable lives in their countries of origin;

13. Emphasises that the EU must apply a holistic approach, focusing on the local level with the objective of providing development assistance to contribute to structural development through support for democracy, the rule of law, the rules-based order and institutions, in order to make a sustainable impact;

14. Underlines the importance of implementing development programmes in close cooperation with local authorities, civil society and the private sector;

15. Emphasises the need to combat human smuggling and trafficking through strengthened international and multilateral cooperation with partner countries, including, where appropriate, with local authorities, security forces and civil society organisations, on crime prevention, victim protection, enhanced law enforcement, public awareness campaigns to counteract disinformation, the prosecution of perpetrators and the prevention of the exploitation of migrants by criminal networks and migrant smugglers, as well as by providing safer alternatives through the creation of legal channels for safe and regular migration and labour mobility; underlines that strict border control without alternative legal pathways for migration shifts migration routes, introducing different steps into the journey and new transit countries, thus increasing the precariousness of the journey and the exposure of migrants to smuggling networks, extortion and violence;

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote cooperation with partner countries on migration;

17. Recalls that humanitarian assistance should always be provided in accordance with humanitarian principles;

18. Calls on the Commission to further support countries of origin and neighbouring host countries in dealing with increased intercontinental migration flows;

19. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen their capacity to prevent and respond to the instrumentalisation of migrants; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation with partner countries and relevant agencies to detect, prevent and counter such actions;

20. Underlines that public development funding is crucial for partner countries and that private investment can contribute to achieving the objectives of EU development policy, notes that investment guarantees from the EU encourage companies to make investments, provided that rigorous due diligence is conducted to ensure compliance with social, environmental and governance standards, as well as alignment with the SDGs; recalls that achieving the SDGs is essential to improving livelihoods in third countries;

21. Calls for EU financial instruments and the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus and the European Investment Bank to aim at generating local economic returns with a view to strengthening economic autonomy and long-term sustainability;

22. Recalls that ODA remains a vital tool for reducing poverty and for addressing inequalities and supporting the most vulnerable communities; strongly criticises the drastic cuts to ODA made by leading global donors; calls for the EU and its Member States to respect their commitment to spend 0,7 % of gross national income on ODA;

23. Calls on the Commission to ensure greater accountability, transparency and parliamentary oversight in the design and implementation of all EU funding including the upcoming Global Europe Instrument, which must prioritise the implementation of the SDGs, also with regard to addressing irregular migration challenges;

24. Stresses that agricultural and rural development, along with food and nutrition policy, can contribute to the response to some of the root causes of migration; recalls that access to land and natural resources is crucial in ensuring the food and nutrition security of local communities, to improve the productivity of small farmers while adapting production to climate change and to promote the implementation of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Voluntary Guidelines on Land Tenures, which prioritise the rights and needs of legitimate holders of land rights, especially women;

25. Invites the Commission to increase support for higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training in partner countries as part of its development strategy as a means to address the root causes of migration; underlines the importance of strengthening human development by investing in skills locally; calls on the Commission to assist partner countries in capacity building in this regard; calls, furthermore, for increased support for youth-led initiatives to strengthen skills, innovation and exchange and to harness migration as a driver of sustainable development;

26. Calls on the Commission to further explore EU talent partnerships with more third countries, especially those with high levels of emigration;

27. Emphasises that economic empowerment and the creation of decent jobs are primary tools for reducing inequalities and that they improve livelihoods in the countries of origin and thus limit the reasons for irregular migration; calls for EU funding to also support local entrepreneurship and public infrastructure;

28. Stresses that young people must be at the heart of partnerships and are essential for sustainable development; underlines the importance of supporting exchange programmes such as Erasmus+ and other youth mobility and skills programmes to provide education and employment opportunities, and give young people the choice to thrive in their countries of origin;

29. Calls on the Commission to include agriculture and water management among its priorities for cooperation, promoting projects that improve self-sufficiency and reduce migratory pressure;

30. Notes that migration and brain drain can pose challenges to a partner country’s development by reducing the available skilled workforce; recalls that development cooperation can mitigate this risk through comprehensive strategies supporting quality education and training systems, strengthening local employment opportunities and promoting knowledge and skills transfer; calls on the Commission, therefore, to continue its work in this area, including addressing the issue of brain drain through the development policy framework and funding;

31. Recognises the crucial role of diaspora communities in fostering sustainable development, investment and innovation in their countries of origin; stresses that empowering diaspora networks creates reciprocal benefits for both partner countries and the EU; calls for the EU and its Member States to enhance engagement with diaspora organisations and to develop inclusive programmes which contribute to mutually beneficial forms of circular migration;

32. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest in awareness-raising campaigns both within the EU and in third countries to fight disinformation and disseminate information about the risks of irregular migration and to promote understanding about EU rules on labour migration obligations;

33. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase funding for improving the rule of law, democracy support, state and capacity building, and public services including health, access to clean water and education;

34. Reaffirms that a holistic approach that combines development cooperation and migration management is essential to effectively ensure security and solidarity both within the EU and in countries of origin and transit;

35. Welcomes the crucial work of humanitarian, development and peace actors, most notably UN organisations, other international organisations and local actors, including local authorities, civil society organisations, human rights defenders, women’s organisations, youth organisations and non-governmental organisations, and faith-based communities and organisations;

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36. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service.