68 billion dollars in a European budget for Africa support and immigration regulation news

The European Commission announced a standard external budget proposal between 2028 and 2034, the African continent gives the largest share of funding, in a move that Brussels said it aims to support sustainable development and enhance partnerships, but it is also directly related to managing the irregular immigration file.

According to the Kenyan newspaper East Africa, the proposal allocates about 58.4 billion euros (68.35 billion dollars) to Africa, out of a total budget of 200.3 billion euros to finance the priorities of the European Union’s foreign policy within seven years.

These allocations come from the new unified financing tool called “World Europe”, which aims to integrate foreign policy tools in one more flexible framework.

Declared goals and strategic interests

The European Commission says that these funds will be directed to projects in the areas of sustainable development, anti -poverty, food security, health, and education, in addition to supporting peace and stability by preventing conflict, reconstruction after wars, and responding to crises.

Priorities also include confronting climate change, protecting biological diversity, and promoting trade and investment within the framework of the “Global Gate” strategy.

However, the document, according to East Africa, is explicitly linked to the immigration administration, as it states that it will contribute to “combating the radical causes of irregular migration, forced displacement and instability.”

The list of projects funded by the energy sectors, digital networks, transportation, and scientific research, which are areas that Brussels are at the same time serving the development of Africa and the strategic interests of Europe.

Comprehensive coverage of the continent

The funding scope extends to all countries of the continent, from North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) to sub -Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal), in addition to small island countries such as Mauritius, Seychelles, and Capu Verde. Programs will be designed at national, regional and continental levels.

Crisis reserve

The new framework, which begins in January 2028 and ends in December 2034, will replace the current tools, with a reserve of 20 billion euros to face emergency crises.

UNHCR says this trend came based on lessons extracted from the 2021-2027 session, when the money was quickly bleed due to the Kofid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the pressure of immigration.

Criticism and warnings

However, European civil society organizations, including the “European Network for Irish Policy”, warned that the proposed budget reflects a shift in priorities from fighting poverty to promoting competitiveness and migration and defense management.

East Africa quoted these bodies as saying that there is a danger that less and humanitarian financing will be used to reduce poverty, and more in the service of the European Union’s foreign policy goals, at a time when human needs are record levels, while proposed humanitarian allocations do not exceed 17 billion euros.