DW | 15.02.2018
From tackling the root causes of migration to fighting human trafficking: The EU has many different goals for its migration policy. On paper they are sold as equal. Financially, they are not, as DW data analysis shows.
Thousands of asylum seekers arrived in Europe or died on the way trying to reach the continent between 2012 and 2016. In order to reduce the numbers of those entering the block and prevent further deaths, the EU set up the „EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa“ (EUTF) and earmarked 4.3 billion euros (status February 14, 2018) to fight „the root causes of irregular migration“, as the Fund’s tagline states.
Fighting the root causes of migration – in other words improving the situation in the origin countries so people don‘t want to leave – sounds like a goal hardly anyone can find fault with. If you read EU documents on the Trust Fund, the projects that are mentioned often fall into the category of ameliorating the situation on the ground: empowering the youth in Ghana, enhancing living conditions in Ethiopia or increasing food security in Mali for example.


