Brussels, 26/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 25 June the European Commission launched a new programme to co-operate with third countries in the areas of migration and asylum with a budget of €380 million for 2007-2013. The programme essentially aims to provide support to third countries in their management of migratory flows. The focus will be countries along the Southern and Eastern migratory routes towards the European Union, although other migratory routes will also be covered. For the first four years, the Programme will dispose of an allocation of €205 million to be distributed as follows: Southern Migratory Route (Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa), €70 million; Eastern Migratory Route (Eastern Europe, Russian Federation and Central Asia), €50 million; Middle East and Gulf Countries (Eastern Mediterranean European Neighbourhood Policy countries, Iran and Iraq), €5 million; Southern and Eastern Asia and the Pacific region, €16 million; Latin America and the Caribbean, €16 million; There will also be five horizontal initiatives addressing various dimensions of the migratory phenomenon that will benefit all regions: Migration and Development, €10 million; Labour Migration, €8 million; Asylum and Refugee Protection, €4 million; Smuggling of and Trafficking in Human Beings, €3 million; Illegal Immigration, €3 million. A budget of €20 million has been allocated for these "special measures". Following an evaluation that will take place in 2009, the programme will enter in its second and final phase in the period 2011-2013 with an additional allocation of €175 million. (bc)