Europeans and Africans promise new approach on migration

Ministers from 58 European and African states on Thursday pledged to adopt a new co-ordinated approach to migration that goes beyond the single issue of policing borders. The fourth round of talks between European countries and their Mediterranean neighbours under the so-called Rabat process, resulted in a "significant forward step in terms of our objectives," said Senegal's Interior Minister Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo.
Diallo said migratory fluxes were generating problems for both African and European states. "For Africa it is not desirable to see some of its best people leaving while European countries find themselves with newcomers they feel they cannot deal with," he said. As a result, countries on both sides of the fence needed to adopt a common approach of discouraging migrants from making the initial journey towards Europe, while European countries had to do more to ensure those arriving on their doorsteps were assured of their basic rights.