North African Solution: Merkel Pushes for Turkey-Style Migration Deals

Following talks with Italian and French leaders, Merkel said the EU's migration deal with Turkey could form the blueprint for similar arrangements with North African countries.

"We must agree on similar deals with other countries, such as in North Africa, in order to get better control over the Mediterranean Sea refugee routes," Merkel told German newspaper, Neue Passauer Zeitung.

​"Such agreements are also in the interest of the refugees themselves," she said, highlighting the risk in crossing the dangerous Mediterranean, which in many cases in done in unsafe vessels.

The call for North African deals comes after German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere proposed the idea earlier this year, with international migration experts suggesting that the number of people set to cross the sea from North Africa to Italy could soar in September and October.

​While renewing de Maiziere's proposal, Merkel also defended the highly controversial deal with Turkey.

"It is safer for them and there are good reasons for them to remain in Turkey, close to their homeland, where the cultural and language barriers are lower," she said.

"We should work to ensure that it lasts."

Questions Over North African Solution

The EU-Turkey migration deal is highly contentious across Europe, with the agreement seeing Ankara take back every refugee who makes it to Greek territory in return for being able to send another refugee to the EU, from one of the country's refugee camps.

The deal also included EU pledges to pay billions of euros in aid to Turkey, introduce visa-free travel within the EU for Turkish citizens and speed up Turkey's EU accession talks.

​While proponents say the agreement is key to stopping refugees and migrants form making the dangerous voyage across the Aegean Sea, critics have slammed the agreement, arguing that it has serious human rights, cost and practicality concerns.

Many believe that negotiating similar migration deals with North African countries could pose serious questions on practicality, with smuggling hubs such as Libya still in political turmoil and embroiled in violence, after a UN-backed unity government was rejected earlier this week.

​People smuggling and terror concerns remain high in many North African nations, with others also concerned that such deals will result in the EU paying more aid money to try and stop the flow of migrants into the continent.