The 2015 migratory crisis renewed the need to strengthen the cooperation with countries of origin and transit of migratory flows. The link between the sphere of internal affairs and that of foreign policy has thus emerged more clearly, and the external dimension of migration policy of the EU has experienced a season of renewed dynamism. However, this dynamism on the external side, which seems to be agreed by all the Member States, contrasts with the difficulty of the Union to manage the phenomenon of migration internally. This analysis focuses on the external migration policy, highlighting that, although it represents an integral and fundamental part of the European approach in the area, it cannot be considered a substitute for effective management of flows on the domestic side. The external and internal dimensions of immigration policy are indeed closely linked: if it is true that cooperation with third countries is an essential element for the management of the migration phenomenon, it is equally true that this cooperation is conditioned itself by the effectiveness of the European migration policy and some dynamics of its internal development.