THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL MIGRATION IN THE EU: AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE IT THROUGH THE FORMATION OF BILATERAL AGREEMENTS

Abstract

During the last decades, the problem of illegal migration and control of migration flows remained complex and required coordinated actions to solve it. This issue is especially acute in the Mediterranean region. The region includes both EU member states and states engulfed in conflict, war and political instability. Accordingly, the flow of people goes precisely from the «disadvantaged countries of the region» to the European ones. A number of countries are not only a source of migration, but also transit countries. In general, the Mediterranean region is a network of routes through which migrants try to reach European countries, which they see as a guarantee of a stable and safe life. During the last decade, the European Union experienced crisis phenomena that were associated with uncontrolled flows of illegal migrants. It should be noted that not all EU member states felt the «pressure» from the flow of refugees in the same way, mostly «suffering» countries of «first entry». The EU has made attempts to regulate the flow of illegal migrants several times, bilateral agreements were concluded with African countries to «stop» the flow of people outside the EU. But given the revolutions and wars that took place in the region, the governments of the countries could no longer fulfill their obligations under the agreements. EU policy in the last few years has been marked by repeated attempts to stop illegal migrants outside the European Union. As part of the migration control outsourcing policy, another bilateral agreement was concluded. According to the agreements concluded in 2023 and 2024, Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt acted as European partners. Common in these agreements is that the European Union offered financial support to the specified countries in exchange for help in solving the problem of illegal migration.