The Tortured Path of Global Migration Reforms

The document analyzes the difficulties in establishing the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) compared to the Global Compact on Refugees, citing domestic political pressures, populism, and a lack of UN leadership. It highlights the unequal nature of migration negotiations between the African Union and the European Union, where the EU prioritizes border control while African nations focus on development. The author critiques the GCM's zero draft as a non-binding 'wish list' that lacks accountability mechanisms, though it notes the potential of its proposed capacity-building mechanism to support African regional migration goals.

• The Global Compact for Migration (GCM) faces greater obstacles than the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR) due to domestic political pressures, right-wing extremism, and populism in regions such as Europe, Australia, and the United States, which prioritize border controls and deterrence over migrant rights.
• The GCM process has suffered from a lack of centralized UN leadership compared to the GCR; while the GCR was led by the UNHCR, 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 European Union (EU) are characterized by an imbalance of power and conflicting priorities: the EU focuses on stemming irregular migration and readmission, while African countries emphasize development and legal pathways to Europe.
• The February 2018 zero draft of the GCM is criticized for being a non-binding instrument that lacks legal mechanisms to hold states accountable, functioning more as a 'wish list' than an implementable framework while continuing to prioritize state sovereignty.
• Despite its flaws, the GCM's proposed capacity-building mechanism could help African countries improve domestic and regional migration management and move toward a human rights-based approach, supporting the African Union's objectives for free movement.

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} }