http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/582885/Africa-borders-migrants-Britain-Government-UK-aid
Foreign aid could be diverted to control Africa borders to stop
migrants at the source
MILLIONS of pounds from Britain’s overseas aid budget could be
diverted to border controls in Africa to stop migrants leaving their
home countries
By Macer Hall
PUBLISHED: 06:35, Mon, Jun 8, 2015 | UPDATED: 08:20, Mon, Jun 8, 2015
David Cameron has ordered Department for International Development
officials to look at doing more to block would-be travellers at the
start of their journeys to Europe. Niger, Somalia and Eritrea are
among countries to be targeted with measures including security fences
at borders and more coastguard patrols to prevent boats crossing the
Mediterranean.
It could help counter criticism of Government spending on foreign aid.
At a debate on tackling the Mediterranean migrant crisis at the G7
Summit in Germany yesterday, Mr Cameron pointed to a Spanish
government initiative to improve border controls in West Africa. A UK
government official said the border enforcement plan was “under
consideration”.
The source said: “One of the things we are looking at is whether we
could be doing more at the source of the problem. That doesn’t only
mean border security, it could be economic development.” Mr Cameron
has faced criticism for refusing to cut Britain’s £12billion overseas
aid budget while squeezing spending at most other Whitehall
departments to reduce the deficit. He has asked International
Development Secretary Justine Greening to look at ways aid spending
can be diverted towards tackling security threats and rebuilding
failed states to lower the incentive for migration.
In a break from the summit, Mr Cameron said: “There is an example in
recent European history of a government that did successfully manage
this problem. That was the Spanish government when people were leaving
West Africa, arriving in the Canary Islands in large numbers.
“And the Spanish government was able to partner with those countries
from which the people were leaving, help train the coastguards, help
provide the material and the resources they need to manage the
migration problem, and those boats effectively were stopped.”
Mr Cameron said the political chaos in Libya was hampering attempts to
cut migration across the Mediterranean.
“Now, why that isn’t working at the moment is that we need a
government in Libya with whom we can deal so that we can take that
action. We also need to do more. I think these are more developed
criminal gangs that we need to deal with.
“So we have a comprehensive strategy – which we’re pushing with others
in Europe with some success – which is about going after the criminal
gangs, stabilising the countries from which these people are coming,
building a Libyan government with whom we can deal, and yes, of
course, playing our part in the humanitarian mission to rescue people
at sea and make sure that they don’t die.”
Received on Mon Jun 08 2015 - 08:55:56 EDT