Migrant crisis: EU to boost Africa aid to stem influx

The EU has presented a new aid plan to curb the influx of African migrants via Libya, building on the deal it reached with Turkey in March. The European Commission aims to boost partnerships with nine countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Jordan, Libya, Ethiopia and Nigeria. EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said […]

The EU has presented a new aid plan to curb the influx of African migrants via Libya, building on the deal it reached with Turkey in March.
The European Commission aims to boost partnerships with nine countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Jordan, Libya, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said project funding could eventually reach €62bn (£48bn; $70bn).
Controversially it may include security help for Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan.
Mr Avramopoulos said €8bn of EU budget funds could go into the migration partnership in 2016-2020. But in the long term the commission believes it can attract bigger sums in private investment.
EU partnership programmes specially tailored to each country’s conditions are being developed for nine countries initially: Ethiopia, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia.