Britain plans to spend £180 million in the coming five years in Africa, hoping to persuade migrants to remain at home through socio-economic projects.
The UK has announced details of its aid plan, pledging to spend £180 million to stem the flow of migrants fleeing Africa.
Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, announced that the taxpayer-funded package will assist in building infrastructure, creation of jobs and curtail smuggling routes across Libya, Sudan and Tanzania.
Over five years, Britain plans to spend £121 million in Sudan in the hopes that nearly half a million people can be persuaded to remain.
The plan aims to target potential migrants and offer them cash and vouchers which will support them in providing food, health assistance, and returning migrants to integrate back into society.
A further £55 million will be spent in Tanzania over four years – supporting 300,000 vulnerable refugees. An additional £5 million package in Libya will provide humanitarian aid and protection to those stranded in detention centres.
“The sheer scale of the migration crisis in the Mediterranean makes it one of the most pressing global challenges we face, and behind the numbers are millions of individual tales of both hope and tragedy.” Mordaunt said.
“That’s why UK aid is working to help address the root causes of mass migration by creating jobs and providing education, whilst also supporting vulnerable migrants whose lives are at risk due to a lack of food and medicine, or whose freedom is at risk from traffickers and criminal thugs.”
She added that the UK will be directly affected if no action is taken immediately.
“There is no silver bullet and this approach will take time, but as we continue to create jobs, educate thousands of children and save lives, the benefit of our support for the poorest people and the UK will become increasingly obvious.”
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