Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Z. whereas industrial development has proven to be one of the most powerful ways to lift people out of poverty; whereas investing in productivity capabilities in a socially responsible and sustainable way can generate job opportunities and can have a multiplier effect;

AA. whereas human trafficking and smuggling are gross violations of fundamental rights and deprive people of their dignity, freedom and fundamental rights; whereas criminal human trafficking and smuggling networks exploit migrants by profiting off dangerous journeys;

AB. whereas some countries lack the tools and resources to prevent and combat these crimes; whereas international partnerships can effectively contribute to the fight against human trafficking and smuggling;

AC. whereas development cooperation plays an essential role in contributing to addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, as well as combating the smuggling of human beings, protecting refugees and people in need of international protection, supporting refugee-hosting countries and developing legal migration pathways;

AD. whereas security, stability, territorial integrity and good governance are prerequisites for sustainable development measures and whereas the EU should also support partner countries in strengthening law enforcement capacities and border management, and combating organised crime;

AE. whereas effective migration management also requires stronger cooperation with countries of origin and transit, and the dismantling of criminal networks that exploit vulnerable people; whereas support for local development and stability in partner countries helps address the root causes of migration in a sustainable manner;

AF. whereas European support for functioning asylum systems in third countries as part of development cooperation is vitally important for the international protection of asylum seekers;

AG. whereas return and reintegration policies must fully uphold human rights; whereas cooperation on return and reintegration can bring mutual benefits when it takes into account voluntary, dignified and sustainable return to countries of origin;

AH. whereas readmission agreements and innovative tailor-made projects aimed at reintegrating migrants into their countries of origin form an integral part of effective cooperation with partner countries;

AI. whereas development cooperation plays a crucial role in supporting the socio-economic integration of displaced populations and host communities and the protection of people in vulnerable situations, including women, children and persons with disabilities;

AJ. whereas migration can contribute to sustainable development and inclusive growth both in countries of origin and in destination countries, as well as within and across regions; whereas migration has an economic impact both on the country of destination and the country of origin; whereas this impact may be seen in migrants’ contribution to the public finances, employment and job creation, as well as in the role of diaspora communities in supporting the economic development of their countries of origin;

AK. whereas diaspora communities play an important role in the development of partner countries, especially in fostering trade and economic development, as well as in addressing a range of issues related to migration and mobility; whereas the EU Global Diaspora Facility can play a key role in this context;

AL. whereas brain drain may pose challenges for third countries in achieving their policy objectives related to both development and migration;

Interlinkages between migration and development cooperation

1. Underlines the interlinkage between migration and development cooperation and calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to commit to policy coherence for development in its migration policies, in full respect of human rights and the UN 2030 Agenda;

2. Stresses that development cooperation and the EU’s foreign and security policy must be always elaborated and implemented in a fully coherent manner, with a pragmatic and mutually beneficial, results-oriented approach aimed at ensuring stability and economic opportunities in the partner countries, including countries of origin of and transit for migration flows;

3. Stresses that development cooperation should prioritise poverty eradication, inequality reduction and sustainable development, in line with the SDGs, conflict prevention and peacebuilding via economic empowerment, governance reforms and the promotion of human rights in partner countries while also prioritising long-term investments based on partner countries’ development priorities and needs, including when addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, among other objectives;

4. Recalls that women and girls are often disproportionately affected by crises and poverty; calls on the Commission, therefore, to apply a human-rights-based, gender-responsive and vulnerability-sensitive approach in development programmes, underlining the importance of identifying human rights risks, taking mitigating action and ensuring that a particular focus is put on all people in vulnerable situations – including persons with disabilities, older people, marginalised communities and women, girls and young people – especially since the role of women in fragile contexts and peacebuilding, conflict prevention and sustainable development is crucial, as they often act as frontline responders and can be essential catalysers of change, resilience and recovery; highlights that women’s/inclusive participation in decision-making, mediation, climate action and community development leads to more effective and sustainable outcomes;

5. Highlights the importance of a Team Europe approach that ensures coherence between the EU institutions and the Member States working on the external dimension of migration; underlines that Team Europe should coordinate political, diplomatic, financial and technical efforts to develop and deepen comprehensive partnerships that support partner countries in managing migration in a safe, orderly, regular and responsible way by applying an effective human-rights-based and human-centred approach that also addresses the needs of refugees and internally displaced people;

6. Stresses that with a view to preventing corruption and avoiding mismanagement, the Commission should ensure that clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are in place in order to provide effective accountability and transparency in the implementation of the EU budget, including when addressing the link between development and the root causes of migration;

7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance political dialogue with third countries, to strengthen and develop comprehensive and mutually beneficial approaches on a country-by-country basis that take into account the specific contexts and development and migration needs of countries of origin and transit, especially on human development, decent work, social inclusion, and the protection of migrants, refugees and internally displaced people; stresses that such cooperation should be based on solidarity, shared responsibility and respect for human rights;

8. Emphasises the need for a clear understanding of migrant settlements and their local effects; calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop a strategy highlighting the need for a local perspective, to strengthen local ownership and build on existing regional priorities, particularly by supporting intra-continental migration systems;

9. Calls on the Commission to prioritise fragile geographical contexts by also taking into account migration-specific data and research-based information to better identify partner countries’ needs and target their priorities, including on irregular migration and forced displacement;

10. Underlines that the Global Gateway can play a key role in fostering sustainable economic development and job creation in partner countries, thereby empowering local communities and enabling individuals to actively contribute to the development of both their countries of origin and host communities, thus addressing the root causes of irregular migration;

11. Underlines the need to ensure greater private sector involvement, to diversify and implement legal pathways, recognise skills, engage EU development banks, and develop innovative approaches to blending funds within the Team Europe framework and while contributing to the Global Gateway; encourages the participation of the European private sector in development projects in partner countries, ensuring support for a safe and transparent investment framework that facilitates the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises and the creation of local production chains;

12. Underlines that water scarcity, environmental and land degradation, deforestation, and other climate-related disasters are factors behind migration flows, including forced displacement; stresses that individuals displaced by environmental degradation and climate-induced disasters require appropriate support; calls on the Commission and the Member States to prioritise investments in sustainable natural resource management within development programmes, including water and soil conservation, reforestation, climate-resilient agriculture and renewable energy, in order to strengthen social cohesion and communities’ resilience, prevent tensions over natural resources and increase people’s opportunities to build sustainable lives in their countries of origin;

13. Emphasises that the EU must apply a holistic approach, focusing on the local level with the objective of providing development assistance to contribute to structural development through support for democracy, the rule of law, the rules-based order and institutions, in order to make a sustainable impact;

14. Underlines the importance of implementing development programmes in close cooperation with local authorities, civil society and the private sector;

15. Emphasises the need to combat human smuggling and trafficking through strengthened international and multilateral cooperation with partner countries, including, where appropriate, with local authorities, security forces and civil society organisations, on crime prevention, victim protection, enhanced law enforcement, public awareness campaigns to counteract disinformation, the prosecution of perpetrators and the prevention of the exploitation of migrants by criminal networks and migrant smugglers, as well as by providing safer alternatives through the creation of legal channels for safe and regular migration and labour mobility; underlines that strict border control without alternative legal pathways for migration shifts migration routes, introducing different steps into the journey and new transit countries, thus increasing the precariousness of the journey and the exposure of migrants to smuggling networks, extortion and violence;

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote cooperation with partner countries on migration;

17. Recalls that humanitarian assistance should always be provided in accordance with humanitarian principles;

18. Calls on the Commission to further support countries of origin and neighbouring host countries in dealing with increased intercontinental migration flows;

23. Calls on the Commission to ensure greater accountability, transparency and parliamentary oversight in the design and implementation of all EU funding including the upcoming Global Europe Instrument, which must prioritise the implementation of the SDGs, also with regard to addressing irregular migration challenges;

24. Stresses that agricultural and rural development, along with food and nutrition policy, can contribute to the response to some of the root causes of migration; recalls that access to land and natural resources is crucial in ensuring the food and nutrition security of local communities, to improve the productivity of small farmers while adapting production to climate change and to promote the implementation of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Voluntary Guidelines on Land Tenures, which prioritise the rights and needs of legitimate holders of land rights, especially women;

25. Invites the Commission to increase support for higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training in partner countries as part of its development strategy as a means to address the root causes of migration; underlines the importance of strengthening human development by investing in skills locally; calls on the Commission to assist partner countries in capacity building in this regard; calls, furthermore, for increased support for youth-led initiatives to strengthen skills, innovation and exchange and to harness migration as a driver of sustainable development;

26. Calls on the Commission to further explore EU talent partnerships with more third countries, especially those with high levels of emigration;

27. Emphasises that economic empowerment and the creation of decent jobs are primary tools for reducing inequalities and that they improve livelihoods in the countries of origin and thus limit the reasons for irregular migration; calls for EU funding to also support local entrepreneurship and public infrastructure;

28. Stresses that young people must be at the heart of partnerships and are essential for sustainable development; underlines the importance of supporting exchange programmes such as Erasmus+ and other youth mobility and skills programmes to provide education and employment opportunities, and give young people the choice to thrive in their countries of origin;

29. Calls on the Commission to include agriculture and water management among its priorities for cooperation, promoting projects that improve self-sufficiency and reduce migratory pressure;

30. Notes that migration and brain drain can pose challenges to a partner country’s development by reducing the available skilled workforce; recalls that development cooperation can mitigate this risk through comprehensive strategies supporting quality education and training systems, strengthening local employment opportunities and promoting knowledge and skills transfer; calls on the Commission, therefore, to continue its work in this area, including addressing the issue of brain drain through the development policy framework and funding;

31. Recognises the crucial role of diaspora communities in fostering sustainable development, investment and innovation in their countries of origin; stresses that empowering diaspora networks creates reciprocal benefits for both partner countries and the EU; calls for the EU and its Member States to enhance engagement with diaspora organisations and to develop inclusive programmes which contribute to mutually beneficial forms of circular migration;

32. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest in awareness-raising campaigns both within the EU and in third countries to fight disinformation and disseminate information about the risks of irregular migration and to promote understanding about EU rules on labour migration obligations;

33. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase funding for improving the rule of law, democracy support, state and capacity building, and public services including health, access to clean water and education;

34. Reaffirms that a holistic approach that combines development cooperation and migration management is essential to effectively ensure security and solidarity both within the EU and in countries of origin and transit;

35. Welcomes the crucial work of humanitarian, development and peace actors, most notably UN organisations, other international organisations and local actors, including local authorities, civil society organisations, human rights defenders, women’s organisations, youth organisations and non-governmental organisations, and faith-based communities and organisations;

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36. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service.