The article addresses the increasing pressure exerted by European nations on African countries to enhance border security and accept returned migrants, especially since the 2015 migration crisis. European leaders, while distancing themselves from the hardline immigration strategies of former US President Donald Trump, are adopting similar tactics, imposing stricter policies on African nations. This includes high-profile visits, such as that of the UK Foreign Secretary to Ethiopia, which aim to solidify cooperation on illegal migration but may inadvertently escalate tensions.

The article argues that these heavy-handed diplomatic efforts are unlikely to resolve the migration issues in the medium to long term. Instead, they are predicted to exacerbate instability in African nations by undermining democratic processes, fostering corruption, and potentially creating more conditions that drive migration. The dependency on such coercive measures reflects a misunderstanding of the complex socio-political drivers of migration within Africa.

Overall, the piece calls for African nations to resist these pressures and instead focus on developing their own sustainable policies that respect their sovereignty and consider the root causes of migration. This approach would encourage a more balanced equilibrium between migration management and the protection of human rights and dignity for migrants.