Irregular Migration under the EU Global Strategy between Peace and Security: The case of EU-Morocco Partnership

Abstract

This paper studies the EU Global Strategy’s effectiveness in achieving the objectives of peace and security through societal and state resilience using the case study of the EU-Morocco Partnership on Irregular Migration. Irregular Migration in the last decade or so has become of paramount importance for the union’s security and stability. While mainly sought through a security-dominated approach, the issue of irregular migration is under the EUGS expected to be tackled through a comprehensive agenda targeting both long term peace and immediate security needs. Tackling the root causes behind irregular migration by seeking mutual interests and sustainable security between the EU and Neighbor Countries, especially in Africa, is described to bring about fruitful and long-term solutions. Adopting the Critical Constructivist framework, this paper finds out that besides the inconsistencies in the EU’ Global strategy and EU’s discourse and practice, issues related to Morocco’s domestic development which parallel the union’s limited relational power and a lack of a balance of interests between the union and Morocco in the EU’ externalization policy challenge the union’ effectiveness in dealing with irregular migration. A security-dominated approach along with a prioritization of strategic interests through selective engagement stands in the way of the realization of the EU Global Strategy’s objectives in the case of Morocco to local and transit migrants.