Migration-related funding in the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) proposal has tripled, although the majority, €48 billion, is allocated to measures concerning border security and law enforcement activities.
Out of the €74 billion allocated in the MFF "to enhance Europe's safety and security," €26 billion is set aside for managing migration, covering aspects such as the reception of asylum seekers and other non-border-related matters.
The €2 trillion Multiannual Financial Framework plan put forward by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aims to fund the seven-year period following 2028.
In the 2021-2027 financial plan, a total of €25 billion was set aside for migration-related initiatives, including €14 billion designated for border control and €11 billion allocated for asylum support and integration.
The proportion of the budget dedicated to border control has consequently risen from nearly equal to a two-to-one ratio compared to migration reception systems.
In the upcoming budget cycle, the EU border agency Frontex would receive €12 billion under the proposal, and isexpectedto experience a significant transformation next year, with a substantial rise in personnel and updated guidelines for interactions at EU borders.
In addition to these funds, other budget items designated under the so-called "Global Europe Instrument" might be utilized to prevent migrants from reaching Europe.
The EU's external activities involve large-scale financial support for non-EU nations, typically tied to their efforts to stop migrants from leaving their territories.
Financial support for third countries that are unable to handle unauthorized migration could be halted, with the exception of humanitarian assistance, according to an EU representative.
Critics from civil society
The method has faced criticism from human rights organizations that oversee the Commission's activities related to migration.
"The proposal for home affairs funding prioritizes border control over asylum and integration," the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) stated to Euronews.
"The suggestions about border and migration policies once more emphasize the militarization of borders, continuing the path the EU has taken for more than a decade, even though it has consistently failed in every respect," Mark Akkerman, a researcher at Stop Wapenhandel and the Transnational Institute, said to Euronews.
"Billions in the suggested funding will mainly benefit arms manufacturers, while those migrating will still encounter death, violence, dangers, and breaches of human rights," he added.
"It is known that the proposal aims to boost funding for programs that have previously supported violent border monitoring, such as the Border Monitoring and Visa Instrument or the Internal Security Fund. The same applies to Frontex, an agency that has faced accusations of involvement in human rights abuses at the borders on multiple occasions," said Chiara Catelli, Project Officer at PICUM, the organization representing undocumented migrants.
Euronews sought clarification from the European Commission regarding long-term spending, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
This report is based on MFF budget details that are currently available — no official documents have been released yet.
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