To mitigate the root causes of flight and migration, Germanyʹs federal government is contemplating fair-trade agreements with refugee countries of origin. The North African experience shows this will require a re-think of EU policy.
Most migrants and refugees who arrive at Europeʹs borders are fleeing countries whose most important trading partner is the European Union (EU). The exchange of goods with Europe has an impact on crisis countriesʹ economic and social conditions and affects the circumstances that drive people to abandon their homelands.