Migration into Europe has fallen since 2015, when more than 1 million people fleeing conflict and hardship attempted sea crossings. But deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean have shot up, exposing the ‘fight against migration’ as flawed and dangerous, the report argues.

While leaders in Europe and elsewhere say that clamping down on migration saves lives by deterring people from undertaking dangerous journeys, the reality is that European governments’ outsourced migration policies are feeding into conflict and abuse – and reinforcing the drivers of migration, according to the report.

Drawing on extensive research, the report analyses the European Union’s and European governments’ outsourcing of migration controls in ‘partner’ countries such as Turkey, Libya and Niger. It explores who benefits from this system, exposes its risks and explains who bears the costs. It also provides recommendations for European leaders on how to move toward a humane model for migration that refocuses on EU commitments to human rights, conflict prevention and sustainable development.

Ruben  Andersson and David Keen (2019) Partners in crime? The impacts of Europe’s outsourced migration controls on peace, stability and rights, Saferworld