On 26 January 2025, El Mundo published an article titled “La doble cara del control migratorio de la Unión Europea en el Mediterráneo central,” featuring an interview with our Scientific Coordinator, Professor Virginie Collombier.

In the article, Professor Collombier underscores the EU’s growing dependency on third countries, such as Libya and Tunisia, to manage migration. She pointed out the paradox of this strategy: while it aims to strengthen border control, it simultaneously weakens Europe by increasing its reliance on external actors who often exploit the situation for economic and political gains.

Professor Collombier further explained how EU funding, meant to curb migration, often reinforces criminal networks in Libya, where local authorities and human traffickers collaborate. This symbiosis allows authorities to profit from EU aid while traffickers extort migrants and their families, perpetuating cycles of violence and abuse.

The article is available in Spanish.