Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the European Union still maintains Migrants’ Centres in Mali, or elsewhere in Africa, to deal with the needs of people wishing to move to Europe.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach

The EU established the Centre for Information and Migration Management (CIGEM) in Bamako in 2008 in conjunction with the Malian authorities. The Centre is still operating, but does not currently receive EU funding.

The Government believes such centres can play a useful role in dissuading migrants from making dangerous and illegal journeys in an attempt to reach the EU.

We also welcome other EU initiatives to address migratory flows from Africa, including the extension of the EU’s support for the ‘Regional Protection Programmes’ in North Africa and the Horn of Africa which help ensure adequate protection for refugees in their region of origin.