EU leaders to revisit migration conclusions at October European Council
At the European Council on 15–16 October leaders will revisit long-standing migration conclusions and a 5 October draft that repeats familiar demands.
European Union leaders will return from the summer break to a European Council meeting on 15 and 16 October where migration will again be high on the agenda, and many of the same conclusions that have been repeated for years will be raised once more.
The draft conclusions dated 5 October focus on co‑operation with origin and transit countries and on measures to fight people‑trafficking and smuggling. They also call for stepped‑up work on all fronts, including the external dimension of the issue.
Repeated demands, limited change
Since the December 2015 summit the discussion has revolved around the same core priorities: limiting large migration inflows, restoring control of the EU’s external borders and addressing the low number of returns. Over more than 50 European Council meetings since the end of 2015 the wording has repeatedly returned to these themes, including concern over low rates of deportation and readmission.
The draft is reported to restate the need for "concrete measures to ensure the effective return and readmission of those without a residence permit" and asks member states to account for the extent to which earlier conclusions have been implemented.
Legal migration is mentioned in the draft as well: it appears in 11 conclusions, with the last reference dating to June last year. The persistence of the same formulae has prompted criticism that leaders continue to recycle old responses rather than adopt new, effective policies.
Photo: press material from the event
