In a bid to prevent waves of refugee arrivals that may risk destabilising governments and stoking populism in Europe, the European Union (EU) has mapped out plans for migration-control with countries in the Mideast and Africa, including Nigeria.
The main thrust of the plan to curb migration, referred to as the “new normal,” is to deploy 8 billion euro ($9.1bn) over the next five years to tackle flows of refugees from the Middle East and Africa and Europe. The partnership will seek to return more arrivals to their countries of origin or transit address the root causes of forced displacement and limit migrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea when smugglers’ boats capsize.
A recent report from Walk Free Foundation noted that traffickers and gangs in Nigeria were exploiting Europe’s migrant crisis by trafficking girls through Libya down to the Mediterranean to Italy on overloaded boats. In 2015, a data from International Organisation for Migration (IOM) showed over 5,600 Nigerian women and girls arrived in Italy by sea up from 1,200 in 2014. More than 1,250 Nigeria women have landed in Italy this year.
Experts noted that a lack of coordination between European states and Nigeria was responsible for the brazenness of the traffickers.
According to Fredrica Mogherini, EU foreign policy chief, who spoke on the strategy, “Millions of people are on the move worldwide and we can only manage this if we act globally, in full partnership.
“Our goal, while staying focused on saving lives at sea and dismantling smugglers’ networks, is to support the countries that host so many people and foster growth in our partner countries.”
A statement from the United Nations on Tuesday stated that more than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe since 2014. Over 2,000 people drowned in 2016 alone. Last year, the total death toll was about 3,700.
Frans Timmermans, EU vice-president, who unveiled the plans, stated, “We cannot tolerate the loss of life on this scale; we need to do everything to stop it.”
The aim is to reduce the incentive for people to try to smuggle themselves into the continent illegally on flimsy boats and put their lives at risk.
Germany has received so much attention as it absorbs nearly one million refugees who arrived last year. But Italy is also feeling the strain. With the summer migrant season soon to arrive, more than 115,000 migrants are already in Italy, an enormous increase from only a few years ago.
The refugee crisis is seen as distracting the EU from the more pressing euro-area debt crisis. Nonetheless, migrant challenge has deepened the division and bulk passing among member countries. The commission however is weighing more active migration policies abroad in an effort to prevent a repeat of the uncoordinated national reactions and finger pointing over the past year that have put Europe’s passport-free travel zone at risk and fuelled anti-European forces from the UK to Austria.
Controlling migration forms the major bedrock for those who are waging campaign for the United Kingdom to exit the EU in a June referendum.
Countries being prioritised in the EU deal include Lebanon and Jordan in the Middle East and Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Ethiopia in Africa. Engagement with countries like Tunisia and Libya will follow soon.
