(Brussels) “When it comes to migration, a comprehensive approach is indispensable – embracing action with partners outside the EU, at the external border, and inside the EU. It is not enough to only concentrate on the most pressing matters. The situation requires continuous, determined action across the full range of the comprehensive approach”. The European Commission wrote this in a document issued in the run-up to the European Council on 21-22 March in which it takes stock of “progress made over the past 4 years” including the “measures still required to address immediate and future migration challenges”. “Faced with the most severe refugee crisis the world has seen since the Second World War, the EU managed to bring about a step change in migration management and border protection”, the document reads. The European Union “has offered protection and support to millions, saved lives, dismantled smuggling networks and brought irregular arrivals to Europe down to the lowest level recorded in 5 years. Nevertheless, more work is needed to make the EU’s migration policy truly future-proof in view of a constantly evolving geopolitical context and a steady rise in migratory pressure on a global scale”.