The EU migration policies : the EU-Turkey agreement on migration as a potential model

Abstract

This research investigated whether the EU-Turkey agreement was a potential model to be replicated in the EU’s external efforts. The EU-Turkey agreement resulted from a deal reached between the European Council and Turkey, following the conflict in Syria in 2015, primarily to stop the massive influx of irregular migration. To answer the research question, this study analysed data from secondary sources and interviews were conducted with six experts in the field. The data collected from the interviews were subjected to a SWOT analysis and it was also supported by the findings from the analysis of the secondary sources. The SWOT analysis concluded that the EU-Turkey agreement has significantly decreased irregular migration on the Eastern Mediterranean front and presented the EU with an opportunity for a new whole dynamic in its external relations. On the contrary, a significant weakness of the EU-Turkey agreement was the one-sided actions. This study posits that unless these weaknesses are addressed, potential threats may undermine the agreement’s success. The findings were also discussed and several recommendations were proposed.