Policy Conference: A rules & values approach to migration

The European Union and the African Union celebrate the 25th anniversary of their relationship this year. Ahead of the 7th EU-AU Summit in November 2025, the Progressive Migration Group holds a conference on 26 September in Rome, with a livestream available online. Join experts and policymakers in discussing the following topics:

• From control to cooperation: externalisation and returns in EU-Africa relations
  • The European Union’s overemphasis on irregular migration and the consequent increased trend to resort to securitisation, border militarisation and externalisation policies needs to be addressed. Additionally, we will discuss return cooperation with the countries of origin and transit
• Beyond irregularity: shifting the migration focus from crisis to opportunities to legal pathways
  • We will dive into the potential for truly equal and fair Africa-EU labour agreements that move beyond conditionality or the so-called “Immigration Flow Decree”. The aim is to create a win-win situation for all parties involved. A pathway that safeguards migrants’ security, dignity and human rights, while catering to AU’s and EU’s interests.

Register here to join the conference via Zoom. Should you be interested in participating on-site, please contact our Policy Officer for Migration and Integration, Tobias Beylat: tobias.beylat(at)fes.de.

09:30 Welcome remarks

• Toni Ricciardi, Vice President, PD Group, Chamber of Deputies
• Tobias Mörschel, Director, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung European Union & Global Dialogue Brussels Office
• Gennaro Acquaviva, President, Fondazione Socialismo
• Hedwig Giusto, Head of the International Programmes, Foundation for European Progressive Studies

09:45 Political introduction by Giuliano Amato, former Italian Prime Minister and Minister of Interior

10:00 Panel 1: From control to cooperation - externalisation and returns in EU-Africa relations

• Tasnim Abderrahim, Visiting Fellow, ECFR Middle East and North Africa Programme
• Jean-Louis de Brouwer, Director European Affairs Programme, Egmont Institute
• Ouididad Bakkali, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
• Luca Di Sciullo, President, IDOS

Moderated by Hedwig Giusto, Head of International Programmes, Foundation for European Progressive Studies

11:15 Break

11:45 Panel 2: Beyond irregularity - shifting the migration focus from crisis to opportunities to legal pathways

• Paddy Siyanga Knudsen, African Non-state Actors Platform
• Lukmon Akintola, Global Center for Climate Mobility
• Cecilia Strada, MEP, S&D 

Moderated by Luca Cefisi, Fondazione Socialismo

13:00 Concluding remarks by Antonio Vitorino, Former Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Chair of the PMG

13:30 End