EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos said the purpose of
the two-day summit in the Maltese capital, Valletta, on Wednesday Nov 11,2015 was to
"enhance collaboration" with African countries.
Avramopoulos said the aim was to protect refugees and stop people
smuggling operations, while sending home irregular migrants. Meanwhile,
the EU has said it will offer Africans legal channels of migration to
Europe.
"That is why this week's summit in Valletta is so important," Avramopoulos said, ahead of the meeting, involving some 50 national leaders.
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 800,000 migrants have reached Europe this year, just under a quarter of them from Africa. The EU predicts that three million more could arrive by 2017.
Europeans leaders say many Africans come in search of work and should be
sent home. In the latest draft of a 17-page action plan, to be agreed
to at the summit, African leaders would commit "to cooperate with the EU
on return and admission, notably on travel documentation."
The president of Niger - a main transit route for migrants heading to Libya to cross the Mediterranean to Europe - told reporters in Valletta he was cautious about accelerating the return of large numbers of people to their home countries. President Mahamadou Issoufou stressed it was important to tackle the root causes driving people to leave:
"We can put security measures in place, but the flow will remain difficult to stop as long as we don't take measures to reduce poverty," he said.
The EU is working closely with Niger to stem the flow of migrants. It is also attempting to reach deals with Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt during the talks.
"That is why this week's summit in Valletta is so important," Avramopoulos said, ahead of the meeting, involving some 50 national leaders.
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 800,000 migrants have reached Europe this year, just under a quarter of them from Africa. The EU predicts that three million more could arrive by 2017.
The president of Niger - a main transit route for migrants heading to Libya to cross the Mediterranean to Europe - told reporters in Valletta he was cautious about accelerating the return of large numbers of people to their home countries. President Mahamadou Issoufou stressed it was important to tackle the root causes driving people to leave:
"We can put security measures in place, but the flow will remain difficult to stop as long as we don't take measures to reduce poverty," he said.
The EU is working closely with Niger to stem the flow of migrants. It is also attempting to reach deals with Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt during the talks.
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