The Tortured Path of Global Migration Reforms

This research paper analyzes the challenges facing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), contrasting it with the more established Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). It examines the political obstacles to the GCM, the unequal dynamics of migration negotiations between the African Union and the European Union, and the limitations of the GCM's February 2018 zero draft, which the author argues lacks binding accountability mechanisms.

• The Global Compact for Migration (GCM) faces significant obstacles compared to the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR) due to domestic political pressures, the rise of right-wing extremism, and a lack of leadership within the UN system. While the GCR is based on the 1951 Refugee Convention, the GCM is a state-led process co-facilitated by Switzerland and Mexico, with the IOM providing only technical expertise.
• Migration negotiations between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) are characterized by unequal priorities and power dynamics. The EU focuses on stopping irregular migration and readmission, often using conditional aid, while African countries prioritize development and legal pathways to Europe. This tension is exemplified by the crisis in Libya, where EU support for Libyan forces to stop smuggling occurred despite reports of migrant torture and enslavement.
• The February 2018 zero draft of the GCM is criticized for being a nonbinding 'wish list' rather than an implementable framework. Although it references international human rights treaties and addresses factors like climate change, it lacks legal mechanisms to hold states accountable and continues to prioritize state sovereignty and the possibility of migration detention.
• Within Africa, economic centers like South Africa and Kenya support stricter border controls to limit economic migration, which conflicts with the African Union's goals for free movement. The author suggests that a successful GCM could provide capacity-building mechanisms and financial support from institutions like the World Bank and African Development Bank to help African countries adopt a human rights-based approach to migration.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2018). The Tortured Path of Global Migration Reforms. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-tortured-path-of-global-migration-reforms/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The Tortured Path of Global Migration Reforms. 2018. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-tortured-path-of-global-migration-reforms/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The Tortured Path of Global Migration Reforms |date=27 February 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-tortured-path-of-global-migration-reforms/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2018tortured, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The Tortured Path of Global Migration Reforms}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-tortured-path-of-global-migration-reforms/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }