AGADEZ (NIGER) – For Andre Chani of Niger, driving Europe-bound migrants from the trading hub of Agadez to Libya once earned him thousands of US dollars a month. When police impounded his two pick-up trucks four years ago to stem the flow of migrants, he applied for 2.5 million CFA francs ($4,511) in aid from a EU-funded programme to ferry agricultural produce to Algeria.
When he did not get a positive response, he turned to drug smuggling to support his family. Now he ekes out a living growing onions.
Chani is one among the many aspiring entrepreneurs who are seeking support from a vast EU fund to stem illegal migration to Europe. The spike in migration has created a crisis of sorts in Italy and Spain.
However, the funds have been slow to arrive. Only half of the 4.7 billion euros ($5.5 billion) from the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) approved five years ago has been doled out.
“It is frustrating that the help is so late,” Mohamed Agali, head of migration at the Regional Council of Agadez, said. “The EU wants to stop migration, but to do that you need to help the people recover. Without that, they will have to try something else.”
An EU official said Agadez authorities took longer than expected to prepare a list of beneficiaries, evaluate their proposals and purchase goods.
Under EU rules, local officials buy equipment for EUTF beneficiaries, who are not allowed to receive cash. The business proposals were submitted for vetting to a committee including local authorities, aid groups and ex-traffickers.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field