Italy pledges 200 million euros to African countries to address immigration
Angelino Alfano, Italy's Foreign Affairs Minister, at Carthage Palace in Tunis, Tunisia on January 19, 2017. PHOTO | FETHI BELAID | AFP
What you need to know:
Unlike previous European financing pledges, which have aimed to tackle the root causes of migration, the fund seeks to boost efforts by African security forces to stop people from leaving.
The so-called Africa Fund will help bolster the “fight against human trafficking and illegal migration”, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said.
ROME, Wednesday
Italy on Wednesday pledged 200 million euros ($215 million) to several African countries as it seeks to reduce the number of migrants risking their lives in the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Unlike previous European financing pledges, which have aimed to tackle the main causes of migration, this seeks to boost efforts by African security forces to stop people from leaving.
The so-called Africa Fund will help bolster the “fight against human trafficking and illegal migration”, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said.
The funds will go mainly to Niger, Libya and Tunisia – the three key transit and departure points for the vast majority of African migrants trying to reach Italy’s shores.
They are intended to help train the nations’ security forces and to pay for equipment to monitor the borders.
“We don’t build walls in the Mediterranean – we can’t and don’t want to do that,” Alfano said.
