EUR 381 million to tackle the root causes of irregular migration in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin

The European Commission today announced the launch of 28 new measures in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin for a total amount of EUR 381 million. Adopted under the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa following the Valletta Summit, these measures will increase stability in the region and tackle the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement.

Summary of the measures adopted today

EUR 23.3 million has been allocated for three measures in Burkina Faso. While aimed primarily at promoting employment and entrepreneurship, these measures also serve the management and governance of migration.

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  The programme ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration and return and sustainable reintegration in Burkina Faso' will improve management and governance of migration and provide assistance and protection for migrants in transit and their voluntary return and sustainable reintegration in their communities of origin through support for the development of income-generating activities and vocational training, medical services and housing.
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  The ‘Programme of support for employment in border and peripheral areas' will primarily target young people and women, creating jobs to reduce the risk of migration and radicalisation.This will be done by support for social and occupational integration, the introduction of training courses and help for starting up small and micro-enterprises in the form of grants to local associations and civil society organisations, the distribution of starter kits (which for farmers would mean seed, fertilisers, etc.) and assistance in mounting and carrying out projects.
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  ‘Support for vocational skills, entrepreneurship and agri-business among young people in rural areas of Burkina Faso's vulnerable regions' will serve to create economic opportunities for young people and women in a number of northern provinces: activities aimed at developing and rehabilitating the lowlands will be supported so as to create and make available farming units.

For Cameroon, the programme ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration and return and sustainable reintegration in Cameroon' has been adopted at a cost of EUR 3.3 million. This measure is designed to support the sustainable reintegration and protection of 850 Cameroonian returning migrants in coordination with governmental partners and civil society organisations.

In The Gambia, the programme ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration and the sustainable reintegration of returning migrants' has been adopted at a cost of EUR 3.9 million to raise communities' awareness of the risks involved in irregular migration and to facilitate the sustainable reintegration of returnees in The Gambia.

Three measures have been approved for Mali at a total cost of EUR 60 million.

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  The ‘Programme of support for the operation of the civil registry in Mali: support for setting up a secure information system' will help the Malian Government set up a secure and universal system linked to a biometric database.
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  The measure ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration and return and sustainable reintegration in Mali' will serve to strengthen the management and governance of migration and provide assistance and protection for migrants in transit and their return and sustainable reintegration in Mali and neighbouring countries.
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  The measure ‘Supporting youth employment to create economic opportunities in Mali' will support job creation and the integration of young people into the horticulture, agri-foodstuffs and crafts sectors.

Four measures have been adopted for Mauritania at a cost of EUR 38 million:

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  The programme ‘Creating jobs for young people and potential migrants in the small-scale fisheries sector' is designed to strengthen the institutional framework of fisheries management, improve training and young people's employability and support small and medium-sized businesses in all the country's fishing areas.
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  The programme ‘Promoting employment and improved living conditions for small-scale coastal fishermen, young people and women in the vicinity of the protected natural areas of the northern sector of Mauritania' is aimed at training women from the Nouadhibou cooperatives and providing them with equipment and better access to micro-credit for processing and selling seafood and freshwater products.
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  A pilot project for supporting the prevention of violent radicalisation will propose field research into ways of preventing radicalisation at national and regional levels.
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  The fourth programme will be aimed at ‘Helping strengthen the governance and management migration and borders and facilitate the protection, return and sustainable reintegration of migrants in Mauritania'. It proposes to rely on local cross-border communities to strengthen the management of borders, support the mobilisation of the diaspora and implement reintegration measures.

Three measures have been adopted for Niger at a total cost of EUR 35 million:

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  The first programme adopted is aimed at ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration, and sustainable return in Niger' so as to ensure the protection, return and sustainable reintegration of migrants.

Thanks to the various centres established along the migratory route and supported by the Fund, the International Organisation for Migration provides emergency humanitarian aid and frontline assistance (accommodation, food, medical care, psychological support, basic non-food items). Specialised support services are also available and adapted to the most vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied migrant children, migrants at risk of trafficking or abuse, migrants with psychosocial and health needs and persons requiring international protection as refugees.

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  The ‘Plan of measures with rapid economic impact in Agadez' proposes flanking measures for policing and judicial measures taken by Niger's government in respect of irregular migration.
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  The programme ‘Support for institutional and community resilience in the Diffa region' is designed to help densely populated towns develop new parcels to provide access to land and water for 6 000 vulnerable displaced/host households (social parcels) and affluent households.

Another three measures have been adopted for Nigeria at a total cost of EUR 22.4 million.

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  ‘The Right to Write Nigeria Project' is aimed at promoting stability in northern Nigeria by fostering social cohesion and offering educational opportunities through the training of teachers and the publication and distribution of books. The project is aimed at boosting literacy, especially among young people and women, in schools in northern Nigeria.
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  The programme ‘Strengthening Psychosocial Support, Mental Health, Reintegration and Protection Services for children in Borno, including children associated with Boko Haram' will serve to strengthen the resilience of children affected by conflict through increased access to community child-protection, mental health and psychosocial support services.
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  Lastly, the programme ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration and return and long-term resettlement in Nigeria' will serve to improve national policies and strategies on managing migration through support for the finalisation and adoption of, for instance, a border-management strategy and a strategy for the diaspora.

Four measures have been adopted for Senegal at a total cost of EUR 88.2 million.

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  The programme ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration and return and sustainable reintegration in Senegal' is aimed at supporting the government's efforts to establish a national policy for managing migration and strengthening the sustainable reintegration of migrants by, inter alia, support for medical services and housing and flanking measures for economic and social integration in order to promote investment in the country's social and economic development.
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  The ‘Programme of support for the operation of the civil status information system and the creation of a national biometric identity register'will help strengthen a universal civil status information system and create a national biometric identity register.
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  The ‘Support programme for the reduction of rural emigration and reintegration in the Groundnut Basin through the development of a rural economy based on irrigated areas' is aimed at creating and consolidating about 10 000 permanent farming jobs and 5 000 non-farming jobs. Examples include labour-intensive activities and land-improvement schemes (mosaic irrigation, embankments and water conservation measures).
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  The ‘Programme to counter irregular migration through support for the private sector and job creation in Senegal' is aimed at reducing illegal migration by supporting the private sector and job creation. A platform providing financial and technical assistance will be created to help develop Senegalese micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, thereby tapping into local economic potential.

Two measures have been adopted for Chad at a total cost of EUR 33 million.

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  The programme ‘Support for training and public security in Chad' will serve to improve internal security by building the capacity of the security forces to perform their day-to-day mission (through training and improved working conditions) and improving relations with the local population. This measure will improve security, fostering access to farmland, pastures and natural resources and thereby contributing to stability and economic development.
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  The programme ‘Support for mine-clearance, social protection and the development of vulnerable groups' will contribute to regional stability and improved management of migration. For instance, specific mine-clearance activities are aimed at increasing the number and total area of plots cleared and at making land safe.

Four regional measures have been approved at a total cost of EUR 73.9 million.

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  The Lake Chad Inclusive Economic and Social Recovery Programme (RESILAC) is aimed at assisting economic recovery and boosting resilience and social cohesion in the areas of the Lake Chad Basin hardest hit by the current crisis in the region and climate change.
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  The programme to boost the resilience and self-reliance of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons affected by the conflict in northern Maliwillfocus on communities concerned by the instability in northern and central Mali, which is generating forced displacement and migratory flows to neighbouring countries. The measure is aimed at reducing the dependency of the communities affected on humanitarian aid; intervening with the host/local population to maintain or strengthen the current climate of peaceful coexistence and intercommunity links and facilitating voluntary return through flanking measures and assistance for all refugees wanting to exercise their right of voluntary return.
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  The programme ‘Creation of decent jobs and sustainable development of micro-enterprises through the responsible and ethical management of specific value chains linked to the fashion, lifestyle and home furnishings sectors in Burkina Faso and Mali' is aimed at creating decent jobs in the crafts sector and improving vocational training.
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  Lastly, the programme ‘Strengthening the management and governance of migration and return and sustainable reintegration in Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Côte d'Ivoire' will permit the voluntary return and reintegration of migrants and the collection of data on migratory flows.

For more information

European Union adopts new EUR381 million package to tackle root causes of instability and irregular migration in the Sahel region and Lake Chad Basin

Website of the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa in the Sahel region and Lake Chad Basin: https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/regions/africa/eu-emergency-trust-fund/sahel-region-and-lake-chad-area_en

Website of Commissioner Neven Mimica: http://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/mimica_en

MEMO/16/4348