African countries given migrant ultimatum as Europe struggles to grapple with crisis

By Max Parry, News Reporter

Migrants crossing the English Channel (Image: Getty)

African countries will have to curb the number of migrants leaving for Europe if they want to continue getting EU development aid, the European Commission will suggest next week. The idea, which is part of the EU's seven-year budget plan outlined in an internal draft document, ties the bloc's aid to the continent's willingness of African governments to stop migrants travelling illegally into Europe.

This hardening of the EU's approach follows a right-wing surge in last year's European elections. Although left-leaning parties in Brussels will likely resist this approach, the policy would see the EU’s development agenda match that of the US and the UK.

Migrants on the back of a pick-up truck in Niger (Image: Getty)

The Commission's plans, seen by POLITICO, suggest possibly cutting funds to poorer states if they don’t actively work to try and reduce migratory flows.

“It shall combine all appropriate tools and the necessary leverage through a flexible incitative approach with, as appropriate within this context, possible changes in [the] allocation of funding related to migration,” the Commission wrote in the document. Multiple EU states are keen to extend the EU’s controversial 2023 deal with Tunisia to stem migrant departures to other African states.

“Increased coherence between migration, asylum and external policies is needed to ensure that the Union’s external assistance supports partner countries to manage migration more effectively,” the document adds.

However, in order for the Commission's plan to come into effect, von der Leyen will have to convince hard-left skeptics in European Parliament as the chamber has powers to influence the budget proposals.

Migration has been a key issue high on the agenda during Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the UK as both countries eek to counter huge flows of migrants coming through France before making the perilous journey across the English Channel.