Publication date: 11 November 2020
Pre-pandemic, EU policies towards North Africa, especially Tunisia and Morocco, focused on two main paradigms: trade liberalization and the minimization of both regular and irregular migration. These agendas were incoherent and had overwhelmingly negative implications for the livelihoods and employment opportunities within the EU for the most vulnerable people in the Maghreb.
As the coronavirus impacts continue to wreak havoc on world economies, any future negotiations on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) ought to be geared towards supporting fair and inclusive recovery in North Africa based on reducing inequality and promoting shared prosperity and development.