UK to Spend £180 Million on Africa Aid, Helping Migrants ‘Return Home’

The UK will spend £180 million of taxpayers’ money over five years in Africa in an effort to convince migrants to stay where they are, reintegrate, or “return home”.

The International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt made the announcement on what has been called International Migrants Day, claiming the “UK aid will help tackle root causes driving people to migrate”.

The package, targeting Libya, Sudan, and Tanzania, aims to help create jobs, improve education, and tackle poverty and modern-day slavery.

Around £121 million will be spent over five years in Sudan “supporting at least 450,000 refugees, migrants and community members” by providing them with housing and food.

In Tanzania, £55 million will be spent over four years to help keep 460,000 migrants and refugees in the nation, including “identif[ying] ways for people to find work, so that they can stay where they are and either return home or not be forced to migrate elsewhere.”

An extra £5 million will go to Libya to protect migrants affected by slavery and abuse, after many were drawn to the nation by the European Union’s lax borders and aid agency’s promises of safety.

News – International Development Secretary @PennyMordaunt sets out how UK aid will help tackle the root causes driving people to migrate: https://t.co/vV1pkKP6bj #InternationalMigrantsDay pic.twitter.com/DJjYfQEEfL

— DFID (@DFID_UK) December 18, 2017

Announcing the package, Ms. Mordaunt said: “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.

“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.

“The UK will be directly affected unless we take action now.

“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.”