Responding to the leaked draft Council conclusions, Emily Wigens, interim Brussels Director of the anti-poverty group, ONE, said:

When EU leaders meet on Thursday, they should be discussing their vision for the future of Europe and preparing the next ten years and beyond. However, so far the leaked draft conclusions suggest that the Council is failing to see further than what’s currently under their noses.

EU leaders need to understand that you cannot deal with migration without understanding long-term development. A separate migration instrument is a short-term “quick fix” solution that risks undermining any long-term, holistic approach. This is not in Europe’s interest.

Now it is time for EU leaders to think and act strategically focusing on long-term solutions, so they must agree two things when they meet tomorrow. First and foremost, leaders must prioritize agreeing an ambitious external budget, with an increase of €40 billion in EU aid, that can support a global strategy to fight extreme poverty and foster socio-economic development.

Secondly, we urgently need greater clarity on the EU’s objectives in the field of external migration. Without these details there can be no accurate assessment of the resources needed today, let alone in 10 years time. EU leaders must therefore ensure that allocations for migration are carried out on the basis of a needs assessment that takes into account the needs of countries of origin, transit and destination in Africa, and is centred on the concept of human-security and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.”