EU issues 13 billion FCFA for the protection of the most vulnerable migrants in the Sahel

01 Novembre 2020

Niamey, Niger, October 31 (Infosplusagbon) - The Nigerien Minister of the Interior and Security, Alkache Alhada, on Thursday in Niamey, launched the Project to support the protection of the most vulnerable migrants in West Africa with funding from the European Union Emergency Trust Fund.

At a cost of 13 billion,119 million CFA francs, the project will be implemented in 12 countries of the Sahel and Lake Chad by a consortium of three NGOs: the Spanish Red Cross as lead partner, Caritas-Switzerland and Save The Children.

In launching the project, the Nigerien Minister indicated that the migratory phenomenon, by its magnitude and the socio-economic, political and cultural issues underlying it, constitutes a major concern on a global scale.

He noted that Niger appears "as a crossroads and an important transit zone in a complex system".

In terms of inflows to the city of Agadez (North), there were no less than 100,000 migrants in 2015 against only around 10,000 in 2018.

More than 2 billion, 262 million CFA francs will be injected in Niger and this action will be carried out in cooperation with other regional and national actions, indicated the charge d'affaires of the European Union in Niger, Olai Voionma.

"Economic precariousness, the low level of training and the lack of employment opportunities, as well as the factors of instability and insecurity are the main reasons which lead people to leave their places of residence to migrate towards the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts." explained Voionma.

For his part, the president of the Nigerien Red Cross, Ali Bandiaré, recalled that in recent decades, "migratory movements in the world have taken on proportions never reached before".

Studies carried out by international organizations estimate the number of people currently living far from home at several millions, including refugees or people displaced by war.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/VVC/GABON2020

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