Africa is undoubtedly not a region we frequently hear about in Europe, which I believe is a significant mistake. The growing importance of this continent cannot be overlooked. Developments in Africa undeniably impact life in Europe. Africa can rightfully be regarded as a continent of immense opportunities but also as one facing considerable challenges that need addressing.
It boasts vast natural resources and is also a transit point for many migration routes leading to Europe. Primarily due to migration, the European Commission established the EU Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) in 2015 to address various issues in three African regions: the Sahel and Lake Chad, the Horn of Africa, and North Africa.
The Sahel region, in particular, is one of the main transit routes used by migrants heading to Europe.
Concerning Findings
The fund focuses on fostering stability and improving migration management in Africa. Its specific priorities include combatting human trafficking and efforts to stabilize the region. Over the past several years, more than €5 billion has been allocated to this fund, supporting 27 African countries.
The majority of contributions (€4.4 billion, or 88% of the total €5 billion) came from the European Development Fund and the EU budget. As of December 2023, €4.508 billion has been disbursed.
In late September, a report was published in which auditors from the European Court of Auditors examined the use of funds in countries such as Ethiopia, Gambia, Mauritania, Libya, and Tunisia. The findings were clear: the EU Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) has failed to adequately address the root causes of instability, illegal migration, and internal displacement on the African continent.
Auditors had already called for a narrower focus for the EUTF in 2018. However, funding intended to address migration issues remains overly fragmented and supports initiatives that do not contribute to development, humanitarian aid, or security.
Wasteful Spending
Projects only partially achieved their objectives. Reported results lacked accuracy, and most disturbingly, funds were sometimes directed toward projects that failed to align with the fund’s purpose or even lacked any meaningful impact.
The European Court of Auditors report cited several examples where funding had no direct link to resolving the migration crisis. These included projects such as renovating the Al-Shaabi promenade in Benghazi or restoring the Roman theatre in Libya’s Sabratha.
Some initiatives were downright absurd. For example, a school received a food mixer for lessons on cooking and food preservation—despite having no access to electricity! Elsewhere, projects were found incomplete, such as an unfinished workshop or an unused slaughterhouse.
Additionally, previous experiences and results were insufficiently considered, and the fund’s outcomes were often exaggerated. Repeated funding was sometimes granted despite a lack of proven results. For instance, in 2018, a recipient in Gambia was given reintegration support as part of an EUTF project, including training and a grant to start a poultry business.
They were supplied with chickens, feed, medicine, and equipment. Yet, despite showing no activity in the intervening years, they received the same support again in 2022. By 2023, it was revealed that all the animals had been sold off and the EU-funded project was no longer operational.
In Libya, there is still no national coordination center for search and rescue operations, despite equipment being provided by the EU in 2021. Funds are likely ending up in the hands of smugglers or intermediaries, while migrants continue to suffer. This approach does little to help Africa and inadvertently contributes to human rights violations and violence. We must document everything centrally and learn from past mistakes.
A Challenge for the New Commission
Fragmented support without strategic focus—this is how European assistance for Africa’s migration issues can be summarized, according to the European Court of Auditors. Over €5 billion has been mismanaged, with no effective way to monitor and evaluate project implementation. This must change.
This is not the first time similar issues with the misuse of European funds have emerged. Similar cases are known across Europe, including in the Czech Republic. Many are now questioning whether it even makes sense to continue financing such initiatives.
The EU Trust Fund for Africa can undoubtedly be a useful tool, but the incoming European Commission must ensure that wasteful spending of European taxpayers’ money is no longer repeated.
Both EU funds and its reputation are at stake. Addressing this issue will undoubtedly be one of the significant challenges for the new Commissioner, Jozef Síkela. He will oversee the crucial portfolio of international partnerships, including the allocation of European funds for aid to Africa.
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