New UK money to combat human trafficking

Press release

New UK money to combat human trafficking

UK announces £4m to address irregular migration at source and support vulnerable communities

• £4 million fund for international programmes to address irregular migration at source, including by tackling people smuggling and human trafficking, while supporting vulnerable communities
• Funding marks continued progress on the Prime Minister's commitment to work with international partners to grip the migration crisis
• Announcement to coincide with international conference in Ethiopia to review progress in implementing the Global Compact for Migration in Africa

Support for efforts to tackle irregular migration at source will be boosted today [9 October] as funding is announced to support programmes across the globe, including those which aim to reduce migration flows upstream as well as protecting migrants from being exploited by criminal smuggling gangs.

In the biggest contribution made by any donor to date, £4 million from the existing aid budget will be allocated to the UN's Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF), which was launched in 2019 to help implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

The MMPTF has to date funded 24 programmes around the world in collaboration with 16 UN organisations, including initiatives which tackle organised immigration crime, such as by training border authorities and security officials in efforts in Guinea and Liberia.

Others are aimed at supporting migrant communities globally, and in doing so support our work to tackle criminal smuggling gangs. This includes providing health and housing support to migrant street children in Ethiopia and supporting migrants in Ecuador to build skills and find employment opportunities.

By providing more opportunities at home, the funding aims to reduce the need for dangerous journeys to other countries, including the UK.

Today's announcement marks the latest step in delivering on the government's manifesto commitments to smash criminal gangs, secure UK borders, and protect the vulnerable. It complements wider work the government is undertaking to reduce irregular migration and smash the criminal gangs responsible, including by creating a new Border Security Command, which will coordinate the work of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to tackle organised immigration crime.

Development Minister, Anneliese Dodds, said: > Earlier this year, the new UK government made a commitment to tackle irregular migration at source. In our largest contribution to the UN's Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund to date, today's announcement will do just that. > > Working with our international partners, including the UN and those in the Global South, we will grip the migration crisis that is putting millions of lives at risk. It will complement work already underway to secure the UK border against criminal smuggling gangs.

The £4 million in funding will be formally announced later today during a conference organised by the UN Network on Migration, which is coordinated by the International Organisation for Migration, and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A panel event, which the UK will speak on, will explore how countries can work together to deliver on the Global Compact for Migration - the first-ever UN global agreement on international migration.

The announcement comes as Kenya reaffirms its commitment to the Fund, highlighting the ongoing international cooperation taking place to help make global migration safer and more orderly.

Today's announcement follows a commitment made by the Prime Minister during this year's European Political Conference (EPC) to work with international partners, including countries across the Global South, to tackle the migration crisis. The Prime Minister announced an up to £84 million funding package for projects across Africa and the Middle East to address the factors that drive people into small boats.

The UK has confirmed that £14 million of the package will support the UNHCR and World Food Programme to help refugees in Jordan, and £4 million will go towards the Rome Process, the Italian government's project to tackle the root causes of irregular migration. 

Background

• Further information on the MMPTF is available here: United Nations Network on Migration
• The £4m announced today has been allocated to the UN from the existing aid budget as part of a wider package of funding announced by the Prime Minister in July: UK steps up work to reduce illegal migration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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Published 9 October 2024