EU Contributes over €100 Mln to Morocco’s Efforts to Counter Illegal Migration

The European Union announced on Wednesday a €101.7 million financial assistance to support Morocco’s efforts to combat human smuggling and manage irregular migration.

The EU funding will also serve to raise awareness among young people and their families about the risks involved in attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

“With this new financial assistance, we are deepening our partnership with Morocco to further reduce irregular arrivals on the Western Mediterranean route and prevent people risking their lives”, said Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.

The EU grant to Morocco is part of a €147.7 million package earmarked by the EU for the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa to combat human smuggling, protect vulnerable people and stabilize communities in North Africa.

The package, the biggest adopted to date, also includes €17 million to support communities and vulnerable children in Libya, €24 million for Voluntary Humanitarian Returns from Libya and protection measures, and €5 million to foster economic opportunities and expand labor migration in North Africa.

The EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa was established in November 2015 to address the root causes of forced displacement and irregular migration and to contribute to better migration management.