EU focusing on curbing migration

During the Q&A, EU’s response to India’s revocation of Article 370 also came under discussion

ISLAMABAD: Migration and refugees from conflict areas are one of the biggest issues which the European Union (EU) faces today and to combat it effectively, it is focusing on ‘preventive measures’ such as the economic development in different source geographic regions.

This was stated by the European Union Delegation acting-Ambassador Anne Marchal while discussing the European Union’s Global Strategy (EUGS) 2016 and its 2019 report during a roundtable organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in Islamabad on Friday.

Marchal gave a presentation on the EUGS and highlighted the EU's core interests and principles for engaging in the world. She stated that the EU’s strategy primarily focuses on its immediate neighbourhood. One of the key main issues was migration and the refugees streaming into European nations.

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EUGS, she explained, expanded the concept to focus on preventive measures that need to be taken in regards to different geographic regions. These include preventive measures in terms of socio-economic development, environmental degradation, illegal migration, and countering disinformation.

She added that the strategy also set medium to long-term objectives apart from taking steps to get there. IRS President Prof Rukhsana Qamber asked if the EU could help revitalise South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

During the question and answer session, the EU’s response to India’s revocation of Article 370 and the special status for Jammu and Kashmir also came under discussion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2019.