Reinforcement of the reciprocal partnership on migration between the African Union and the European Union

To implement the desire for a strengthened and reciprocal partnership on migration and mobility, the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the African Union and the European Union promise to continue to deal with all aspects of migration and mobility, respecting national competences, in an integrated, comprehensive and balanced manner. The African Union and the European Union will work in a spirit of shared responsibility and commitment, in strict compliance with international law and fundamental human rights. Through their joint action and capacity building, and in particular through African institutions specialized in migration. The two Unions will work to prevent irregular migration, to strengthen cooperation against the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings, to support the strengthening of border management and to achieve effective improvements in the areas of return, readmission and reintegration, including the promotion of voluntary return and the facilitation of the sustainable reintegration of people after their return, as well as the strengthening of dialogues on migration between the two continents and the concretization of their essential priorities.

There will be deepening cooperation to find durable solutions for asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants in need of international protection and they pledged to relaunch the work of the Tripartite Task Force AU-EU-UN. They will further strengthen asylum systems with a view to providing adequate reception and protection to those who are entitled to it, as well as to work towards their integration. For both sides too, they will continue to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement and strengthen their cooperation to address all migration-related issues. In accordance with national needs, competences and legal frameworks, channels for legal migration will continue to be developed between the two continents and within the African continent.