On Wednesday 6 December, the European Commission announced it had adopted three new programmes as part of the EU Trust Fund for Africa. The objective of these programmes, which are worth a total of €29.6 million, is to strengthen the protection of migrants and fight against people traffickers.
The first programme ("Facility for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in North Africa") is regional and is worth €10 million. It will be implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and will strengthen the protection of migrants, support sustainable reintegration systems in North Africa and provide assisted voluntary return to migrants wishing to return to their home from Northern Africa.
The second programme is also regional, and is worth €15 million. It focuses on dismantling the criminal networks operating in North Africa that are involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
The third programme, for €4.58 million, focuses on the legal empowerment for migrants in Morocco by strengthening the protection and resilience of migrants and refugees, displaced people and host communities.
The Commission has also set out the priorities for the North Africa part of the trust fund for 2018. The situation in Libya "will remain a top priority with, on the one hand, increased efforts for the protection of migrants and refugees (...); and on the other hand, support to host communities", the Commission press release states. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)