A large group of refugees on a boat, highlighting migration and humanitarian aid efforts.
The EU is pushing a controversial migration policy that ties development aid to African countries’ cooperation on deportations and border control. However, critics, including African scholars and humanitarian groups, argue that this approach is coercive, neo-colonial, and risks reducing aid to a political tool. Experts say the policy overlooks the root causes of migration, such as poverty, conflict, and poor governance. They also warn that it could damage trust and push African nations toward alternative partners such as China. While African leaders are faulted for negotiating from weak and self-serving positions, experts insist the continent holds untapped leverage that leaders can use to shift negotiations in Africa’s favor. As migration debates intensify, many call for a shift from transactional politics to genuine partnerships based on equity, respect, and shared development goals.
DW