The European Parliament approved a report calling for development cooperation and migration management to be treated as inseparable policy areas, with a vote of 344 in favour, 237 against and 66 abstentions. The report argues that addressing irregular migration requires sustained investment in partner countries, particularly those serving as points of origin and transit, combined with respect for human rights and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
MEPs stressed that the EU, the world's largest development investor, should ensure its aid policies support broader EU migration objectives whilst maintaining coherence across diplomatic and development agendas. They called on the European Commission and member states to strengthen alignment between development and migration policy, grounded in full respect for human rights and sustainable development targets.
The report identifies deeper causes of irregular migration: fragile geopolitical conditions, climate change impacts, agricultural vulnerability, youth unemployment, weak education and healthcare systems, and failing democratic institutions. The EU should target support accordingly, investing in economic opportunities and institutional capacity in partner nations. Such work, MEPs argue, addresses both the drivers of migration and wider EU interests in global stability.
The weaponisation of migration
Strict controls without complementary legal migration pathways do not prevent migration, the report states. Instead, they redirect routes, create new transit countries, expose migrants to smuggling networks and violence, and increase the dangers of the journey itself. The EU should pursue migration cooperation with partner countries on grounds of solidarity, shared responsibility and human rights compliance, with particular emphasis on combating trafficking and preventing the weaponisation of migration.
Lukas Mandl, the report's rapporteur from the European People's Party group in Austria, highlighted Europe's role. "Europe is the world's largest development investor, outpacing every other global actor," Mandl said. "European soft power should not be underestimated in advancing universal values like human dignity and individual freedom. Development cooperation plays a vital role in addressing challenges Europe itself faces. Parliament has now made clear that EU international partnerships must contribute to tackling irregular migration and addressing Europe's demographic challenges through labour migration."
