Agreements with countries like Turkey, Sudan and Libya have helped the European Union dramatically cut the flow of migrants to the continent.
But some of these partnerships have generated controversy amid concerns that the Libyan and Sudanese forces helping Europe keep migrants away are involved in the illegal detention, torture and trafficking of asylum-seekers.
On this edition of Global Journalist, a look at the costs and benefits of the EU's immigration policy and its efforts to stop would-be migrants hundreds of miles from Europe's borders.
Joining the program:
- Caitlin Chandler, journalist
- Tim Harrison, aid worker
- Michael Leigh, visiting professor of European studies, Johns Hopkins' Bologna Institute for Policy Research
- Andrew Geddes, professor of migration studies, European University Institute
Assistant producers: Grace Lett, Shirley Tay
Supervising producer: Yanqi Xu