The Mediterranean is the key to solving the migration crisis

Map of the European Migrant Crisis. (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.)

Many countries in the Med are at the frontline of migration, some in North Africa are the source or transit routes, others on the Southern European shore of the Med are the recipients of migrants.

The facts are that current migration flows are due to long wars, brutal conflict and poverty in Africa, Caucuses and Afghanistan and the Middle East.

For migration to stop, war and conflict must stop. Resources must be put towards building economies and governance in fragile post-conflict and poor countries.

Multilateralism must prevail; governance, finance and politics must become metrics for the wider good.

Europe’s focus on Africa must include the Mediterranean – it is the frontline to building Africa as a robust economic zone.

Equally, the EU must lead on resolving migration by using a toolbox that includes trade, finance and governance to safeguard the future of migrants seeking a better share of opportunity in their own region. Positive migration not forced migration should be the goal. It is in this way that the EU will maintain and enhance the sustainability of European societies and economies.