Common agenda or Europe's agenda? International protection, human rights and migration from the Horn of Africa

This paper examines the relationship between international protection, human rights and migration in the context of EU Agenda on Migration which aims to ‘tackle migration upstream’ and reduce the number of arrivals to Europe from countries in the Horn of Africa (HoA) (Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan). These initiatives are underpinned by assumptions about the factors driving migration from the region, including the idea that poverty rather than political oppression and human rights abuse is the principal cause. The paper draws on interview and survey data with 128 people originating from HoA countries and arriving in Europe between March 2011 and October 2016 to show that conflict, insecurity and human rights abuse in countries of origin and neighbouring countries drive decisions to move. This evidence challenges the premises underlying the European Agenda. Moreover, a lack of coherence between the EU’s ambitions to control irregular migration and the rights-violating States with which Europe seeks to engage threatens to create further political destabilisation which may ultimately increase, rather than decrease, outward migration from the region. Agreements between the EU and HoA should be re-centred to focus on compliance with international human rights standards rather than States’ willingness and to prevent irregular migration to Europe