ADDIS ABABA (HAN) November 13, 2015. Public Diplomacy & regional Security. The European Union, along with African leaders, as expected approved the creation of a 1.8 billion euro trust fund for African countries on Thursday (November 11). This was the central element in the effort to restrain mass migration to Europe.
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, said, “For the Africa Trust Fund and our response to be credible, I want to see more member states contributing and matching the 1.8 billion euros (US$1.9 billion) that the EU has put forward.”
The Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, said that the EU wanted a “more for more approach”, more aid in return for states getting “their act together.” He said African countries should “make sure they are not aiding in a complacent manner” migrant smugglers and traffickers.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that Europe wanted “amiable relation with Africa” allowing for the formulation of clear demands and expectations in return for aid.
African leaders made it clear they expected easier and safer methods of entry into the EU for certain categories of migrants. The issue of return was also a subject of detailed discussion.
According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, nearly 800,000 people, including both refugees and migrants, have arrived in Europe by sea so far in 2015, and some 3,440 have died or gone missing en route. MFA
Leave a Reply