EU and Africa leaders meet in Malta to tackle migration crisis

Europe is expected to offer countries in Africa billions of euros in exchange for help with the migrant crisis

European and African leaders will meet in Malta to enhance collaboration on the migration flow. Europe is expected to offer countries in Africa billions of euros in exchange for help with the migrant crisis.

EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos said the aim of the summit in Malta on Wednesday was to “enhance collaboration” with African countries.

Avramopoulos said the aim was to protect refugees and stop people smuggling operations, as well as to send home irregular migrants. Also, the EU has said it will offer Africans legal channels of migration to Europe.

“That is why this week’s summit in Valletta is so important,” Avramopoulos said, ahead of the meeting, where about 50 national leaders participate.

The European commission will give €1.8bn aiming to tackle the economic and security problems that lead people to flee, and persuade African countries to take back more asylum seekers who were denied the asylum.

In October only, more than 218,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by sea.

“We are under incredible pressure of events,” EU President Donald Tusk said adding that “EU governments are reviewing over a million asylum applications between them, an all-time record number that would test any developed democracy.”