Rome – ESI briefing at the Foreign Press Association: “Migration 2024, annus horribilis?”

Photo: ESI

At the Foreign Press Association in Rome, ESI’s Gerald Knaus highlighted the rise of far-right narratives on migration and their political impact. He noted the increasing presence of far-right parties in governments, such as in Hungary and Italy, or close to governing, as seen in France, Austria, and The Netherlands, alongside the potential return of a Trump-led administration in the US, all advocating for stringent asylum restrictions.

Gerald advocated for concluding humane and legal migration agreements with safe third countries, aiming to reduce irregular migration while respecting migrants’ rights and legal standards. He underscored the benefits of such agreements, including fair and effective asylum procedures and legal migration pathways. Gerald also discussed the recent Italy-Albania migration agreement and stressed the importance of renewing the EU-Turkey Statement.

• ESI proposal: Safe Third Country Agreements
• ESI proposal: Humane Borders
• ESI proposal: EU-Turkey Statement 2.0
• RND, „Die bisherigen Vorschläge reichen nicht“ ("The proposals to date are not enough"), Guest article by Gerald Knaus, 4 November 2023
• Süddeutsche Zeitung, Mehr Regeln, mehr Humanität (More rules, more humanity), Op-ed by Gerald Knaus, 2 October 2023