Europe must address the root causes of migration and improve the management of population flows by investing in human beings rather than walls. This is what the leader of the Socialists in the European Parliament, Udo Pullman, who believes that building the walls will not be worthwhile, is demanding. The following are excerpts from the dialogue conducted by the magazine «Interactive»:

- Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament are pushing for a renewed partnership between Europe and Africa. What measures should Europe take to control migration from Africa?

- When factors such as poverty, social inequality, lack of education and environmental degradation exist, migration is inevitable, as we have seen recently, migration flows not only from Africa to Europe but also in the Americas. So we can not talk about controlling immigration, we can not accept the idea of ​​building a castle called Europe.

The only way forward is to address the root causes that drive people to risk their lives in the Sahel and the Mediterranean. Without real economic and political investment that will promote growth and development, we will not be able to stop irregular migratory flows in the long term.

- Do you think that the migration deal, such as that between the European Union and Turkey, could also be useful with African countries?

- Member States of the Council of the European Union (EU) proposed in June to stop immigration to Europe and to establish "landing pads" outside EU territory, particularly in Africa and neighboring countries, to make ships able to deal quickly with people rescued at sea; In a safe place, in conformity with international law.

- Given the growing populist right-wing populism in Europe, how could the formation of the new European Parliament affect this renewed Euro-African partnership?

- The populists and nationalists exploit the fear and the feelings of the people. We must balance this speech with concrete and joint actions, through which migration movements can be managed better, and on the other hand, Europe is placed on the front lines as a major partner with Africa. Based on current trends, the continent's population is expected to double in 2050 to more than 2 billion people, mostly young people.

- In the countries of southern Europe, there is an increasing number of Africans working on farms, while opponents emphasize the prosperity of "modern slavery", what are your proposals to deal with this phenomenon?

- The growing debate about modern forms of slavery raises questions about our dedication to the establishment of human freedom and equality. We condemn in strong terms any act that would subject the individual to any form of slavery.

There is a need for better application of existing legislation and for strengthening actions to address new forms of slavery. Legislation can be strengthened, for example, by involving government institutions in the scope of migrant work.

In 2015, the United Kingdom passed the "Modern Slavery" Act, an unprecedented legislation requiring companies with a turnover of £ 36 million to report on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery. Other countries, such as France, Italy and the Netherlands, have passed or are passing similar legislation.

Without real economic and political investment that promotes growth and development, we will not be able to stop future irregular migration flows.