The approval came after last week European Council session in which EU Leaders made their commitments to stepping up support along the Central Mediterranean route. The new programs under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa will increase EU assistance to refugees and vulnerable migrants and improve partner countries' ability to better manage their borders.
The newly adopted €90.5 million in assistance will fund 3 programs, which will complement ongoing EU efforts in the region:
Through the program on border Management for the Maghreb region worth €55 million, the EU will support efforts of national institutions in Morocco and Tunisia to save lives at sea, improve maritime border management and fight against smugglers operating in the region. This program, implemented by the Italian Ministry of Interior, together with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), will focus on capacity building and providing and maintaining equipment;
Building on existing programs, the EU will reinforce its support to the protection of refugees and migrants in Libya at disembarkation points, in detention centers, in remote southern desert areas and urban settings. The “Integrated approach to protection and emergency assistance to vulnerable and stranded migrants in Libya” program, worth €29 million, will be implemented together with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). It will also promote initiatives to develop economic opportunities for migrants in the domestic labour market, together with the Libyan Ministry of Labour;
With an additional €6.5 million, the EU will reinforce its assistance to vulnerable migrants, supporting the 2014 Moroccan National Strategy on migration. It will facilitate access to basic services for vulnerable migrants and improve local associations' and organizations' capacity to effectively deliver those services. Civil Society Organizations will implement this program.
