The European Migration System and the Development of the EU External Migration Policy: A Critical Review

This article aims at sketching the evolution of the European migration system and the development of the external dimension of the European migration policy in light of the European Union (EU) enlargement processes. It does so by means of policy analysis as well as the direct experience of the author in exploring the European migration scenario and its transformations over the last ten years. Both the internal and external components of the EU migration policymaking are briefly assessed in light of the multimodal character of migration flows, which the Eastward enlargement contributed to spark significantly in recent times. Asymmetries in policy convergence and the lack of a coherent migration policy towards the EU neighbourhood are also explained in view of the lack of a thorough discussion on the European borders as well as the overarching difficulty in shaping a common European sense of belonging. Lastly, a right‐based approach aimed at a fair and comprehensive migration policy will be advocated.