Swiss pledge funds to stem migration from Africa

The government has decided to contribute CHF5 million ($5.1 million) to a European emergency trust fund to combat the causes of migration from Africa. The Swiss participation will boost international cooperation to tackle the roots of migration in the countries of origin and in transit states, according to the justice ministry. It also allows Switzerland to decide which projects it wants to support to complement Swiss aid programmes already underway, the statement added. At the Africa migration summit on Malta last November, 25 European Union member states, as well as Norway and Switzerland launched the €1.8 billion (CHF1.97 billion) fund. It aims to support the most fragile countries, notably in the Sahel region, the Horn of Africa and northern Africa. “The fund aims to help foster stability in the regions to respond to the challenges of irregular migration and displacement and contribute to better migration management,” the statement quotes a European Commission ...