Valletta, Malta – 12 November 2015:
African and European Union leaders ended a two-day Summit on migration,
agreeing on a number of measures, “to decisively and together manage
migration flows in all its aspects.” They concluded a two-day Summit in
Valletta, Malta, which culminated in their
committing to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced
displacement, by considering migration and mobility in their
development, programming and implementation strategies.
According to the final declaration of the
Valletta Summit on Migration, the common response of the African
and European leaders will, among others, primarily focus on reducing
poverty, promoting peace, good governance, the rule of law and respect
for human rights, on supporting inclusive economic
growth through investment opportunities and the creation of decent
jobs, thus rekindling hope notably for the African youth.
In
her opening remarks, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission
pointed out the attitude of some
European countries putting up a fortress approach to solving the
migration issue. “There is no part of the world that can be a fortress.
We should be open to legal migration,” Dr. Dlamini Zuma remarked, while
extending deep appreciation to those European countries
that have been working tirelessly to save the lives of the migrants and
treating them in a humane and dignified manner.
Reacting to the supposed processing centres to be constructed for the migrants, the AU Commission
Chairperson was very clear on the AU’s position: “The African Union is not in support of, and cannot endorse the establishment of the so-called processing centres in
Africa. The processing centres, or whatever they may be called, are de facto
detention centers that will constitute a serious violation of human
rights and re-victimization of migrants. Especially women and children
would be at great risks of falling
prey to rape and human trafficking, including the trafficking in human
organs.”
The
idea of the processing centres was a key issue during the negotiations
between the African and European
Teams of negotiators. Putting into perspective the overall situation of
migration in times of economic growth, AU Commission Chairperson quoted
Dr. Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for
Africa:
“In
every moment of History growth has generated outward migrants from the
same location. It is indeed happening
with Chinese and Indians right now as it is in Africa. Growth spins the
chances for a new life but its distribution, particularly at the early
stages of a country take-off, is uneven and unpredictable. Those who see
their neighbor with means and hope they
do not have, venture out. It would have been absurd to propose bombing
the boats that were sailing to South America full of migrants escaping
the misfortunes of the two World Wars aftermath. These migrants were
seeking better lives. Yet their countries were
growing like never before, thanks amongst others to the Marshall Plan.”
The African and European leaders also agreed to strengthen international protection of migrants and step
up assistance, acknowledging the need to facilitate legal migration and mobility for entrepreneurs, students and researchers.
An EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa of €1.8 billion was launched to implement the agreed
Valletta Summit on Migration Action Plan,
aimed at addressing the root causes of the irregular migration and
displaced persons in Africa. The Fund will benefit countries in the
Sahel region and Lake Chad area; the Horn of Africa and North of Africa,
said to be the major migration routes to Europe.
The
AU Commission Chairperson underscored the need for a short, medium and
long-term sustainable
solutions, highlighting the fact the situation cannot be resolved
through quick fixes. She called on Europe to partner with Africa in its
Agenda 2063, whose thrust is in development and modernisation of the
continent through industrialisation, skills training
and promoting entrepreneurship that will create jobs for African young
people lured by Europe in search of a better life.
Media contact:
Jacob Enoh Eben,
Spokesperson of the Chairperson, African Union Commission; +251 911 201 632; +251 934 996 893 E-mail
EnohebenJ@africa-union.org
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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