International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has chosen International Migrants Day – Monday, 18 December – to set out how UK aid is helping to tackle the root causes driving people to migrate. She also announced an additional package of support for this work in Sudan, Tanzania and Libya.
The Sun reported positively on the announcement, saying this assistance will build infrastructure and create jobs across Libya, Sudan and Tanzania.
Outlining the UK’s enhanced support, 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.
The UK’s package of support includes:
- Sudan – Supporting at least 450,000 refugees, migrants and community members every year in Sudan affected by conflict and lack of food, by providing long term access to food, water, shelter and protection, enabling them to stay in their country and reduce the risk of being forced to flee. This support will help those returning to the region and ensure communities are able to cope, including by replanting crops destroyed by conflict.
- Tanzania – The UK will provide support for over 460,000 refugees and migrants in Tanzania to meet emergency needs and identify 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. This package will also provide access to land and livelihoods offering long term stability to people and their families.
- Libya – The UK is confirming an additional £5 million to provide humanitarian aid and protection to migrants and refugees, some of whom are in detention, as part of the Prime Minister’s announcement at the June European Council. Migrants and refugees in Libya are extremely vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation and slavery.