EU backs away from migration fund

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Ministers from Europe and Africa have pledged to co-operate to tackle illegal immigration through development.

A joint declaration was adopted after two days of talks aimed at stemming the flow of illegal migrants to Europe.

But it side-stepped African calls for a special multi-billion dollar development fund provided by the EU.

African ministers said that such a fund would finance development projects to prevent young Africans seeking a better future in Europe.

But European Commissioner for Development Louis Michel said the Europeans were not yet ready to contribute to such a fund.

Dialogue

He proposed a 40m-euro ($52m) fund to manage African migration to Europe.

He said the fund could be used to lower the cost for Africans sending money earned in Europe back home and set up a network of migration bureaux to match demand for jobs with supply of workers.

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The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says that ministers have emphasised that their discussion represents the beginning of a dialogue.

Ministers from more than 50 countries in Africa and the EU agreed on a global approach to tackle illegal immigration which will include an increase in co-operation on border control.

"Illegal or irregular immigration cannot be addressed solely from a security perspective," European and African leaders said in the joint statement.

Mr Michel said migration should not be demonised or seen as something perverse but rather "a natural phenomenon".

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