NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
EU-third countries cooperation in managing irregular migration
The Arab Spring and the armed conflicts that followed in the MENA region led to unprecedented mixed migrant flows towards the EU. As a result, various measures to cope with irregular migration have been proposed and implemented both at the national and regional levels. This paper tries to analyse those of them that regard the relations between the EU and third countries bordering it. Special attention is paid to the agreements that involve the provision of financial assistance to third countries in return for stemming the flows of migrants. We argue that such a practice is not only controversial per se, but it does not lead to significant success in tackling irregular migration, as it has been already observed on several occasions. We therefore make some recommendations aimed at better addressing the issue of mixed
migration management at the EU level.