Europe to up migrant aid to Africa

PARIS - The leaders of France, Germany, Spain and Italy vowed on Monday to strengthen support for African countries in an effort to stem illegal migration.

The leaders issued a joint statement Monday evening following a meeting in Paris on migration, in which they were joined by their counterparts from Niger and Chad, along with head of Libya's United Nations-backed government and the foreign policy chief of the European Union.

"Migration is a transnational phenomenon that cannot be tackled by a single state, but requires a high level of coordination within Europe and between European and African countries, which requires a long-term response to development," the statement said.

The European leaders agreed to help African countries, which are the main points of origin or transit for undocumented migrants, to enhance border control and help them combat human trafficking.

The statement underlined the financial effort by the EU, especially the European Development Fund, which aims to "address root causes, prevent departures and improve the capacity to return illegal migrants".

Moreover, the leaders vowed to explore "new instruments" for encouraging and facilitating voluntary returns and reintegration of undocumented migrants, in cooperation with the UN's refugee agency.

"Our approach is in line with international law and is based on the plan of action adopted at the Valletta Summit by the EU and the African Union, which calls for shared responsibility between countries of origin, transit and destination," the statement said.

The meeting was called by French President Emmanuel Macron, who proposed last month to set up "hot spots" in Libya, Niger and Chad, where migrants would be screened for their asylum claims before reaching Europe.

Xinhua