Context
Some 9 million people in and around the Horn of Africa have fled their homes; 6.9 million people are currently displaced within their own countries and a further 2.4 million are seeking refuge chiefly in neighbouring states. Overall, the needs of these people are not being adequately addressed. The absence of state infrastructure and the lack of migration management in the region are contributing significantly to the growth of people smuggling and human trafficking, as migrants are often defenceless and have no alternatives. Tackling these criminal networks requires cooperation between the countries of origin, transit and destination throughout the region. However, those countries have limited scope to ensure that cross-border migration takes place in an orderly and humane fashion. It is therefore important to develop a responsible approach to migration management in the region that guarantees adherence to international obligations in order to protect migrants and other people in need of protection.
Objective
The programme aims to improve migration management in the region, and in particular to address the trafficking and smuggling of migrants within and from the Horn of Africa. The priority is to strengthen the rights of migrants and protect them better from violence, abuse and exploitation. The aim is to make migration in the region easier and safer.
Approach
Human trafficking and people smuggling are cross-border problems. The programme is therefore being planned and implemented on a transnational basis. Formal agreements have been reached with all partner countries that implementation of programme activities will, without exception, respect human rights and comply with international law (for example, the EU and UN sanction lists). The values and regulations governing German and European development cooperation work are binding, as are the principles and guidelines of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Initial discussions on the implementation of activities within the scope of the programme have been held with representatives from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan. Discussions with Uganda and South Sudan are scheduled for the first half of 2017.
Programme activities address four levels:
1. Harmonisation of diverse national migration policies with the goal of strengthening regional cooperation on migration issues and facilitating migration;
2. Strengthening of institutions that can combat human trafficking, for example by improving cooperation between investigators, public prosecutors and magistrates on the effective prosecution of human traffickers;
3. Protection and support for migrants, for example by establishing safe houses and mobile teams providing legal advice and psychosocial support; assistance to voluntary return of migrants
4. Information and advice for migrants, for example on safe, legal migration routes, employment opportunities and available support.
In all activities, the absolute priority is to protect the migrants and uphold their rights.
The need to improve support for vulnerable refugees and migrants is acute in Djibouti and Sudan, so plans are in place to create more accommodation where adequate care can be provided. A psychosocial counselling service will be established, targeting unaccompanied young people in particular. In Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia it is planned to make ‘safe houses’ available for victims of trafficking and violence, especially women and children, that provides safety and quick support.
In selected countries it is planned to offer trainings for border officials on the rights of migrants so that the protection of migrants is assured and victims of trafficking are identified and supported in keeping with the principles of human rights. This will also put the officials in a better position to refer vulnerable migrants and refugees to appropriate aid programmes.
In Sudan and Eritrea, there are plans to provide advice on the country’s migration policy so that national legislation embodies the principles of human rights and international law. In Eritrea it is also planned to train judicial officers such as prosecutors to address human smuggling and trafficking more effectively.
Moreover, in the countries concerned, inter-ministerial task forces will receive support in combating human trafficking more effectively while respecting human rights.
The programme is funded by the EU Trust Fund and is being implemented in cooperation with five member states (Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands and the United Kingdom) and a number of prominent institutions, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations. GIZ heads the implementing partnership.
A total of EUR 46 million is available for the programme (EUR 40 million from the EU and EUR 6 million from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).