7 May 2024 – The Finnish and Italian governments last month presented a plan on “countering instrumentalization of migration and migrant smuggling” to the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, calling for “innovative ways” to address the issues – including by increased cooperation between the EU and NATO.
The “non-paper” (pdf) argues that the EU and NATO “should further develop their means of responding to hybrid threats,” a military term that in recent years has come to encompass the “instrumentalization” of migrants by non-EU states.
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According to Finland and Italy, the deal with Tunisia sets the standard “for further balanced, comprehensive, mutually beneficial partnerships with third countries,” and highlights “the importance of ensuring its full implementation.” Doing so will require a more prominent role for Europol and Frontex, says the note, which asserts a need to “harness all the capabilities of Frontex in line with the whole-of-route concept through effectively deploying the Agency in third countries.”