The EU has presented a new aid plan to curb the influx of African migrants via Libya, building on the deal it reached with Turkey in March.

    The European Commission aims to boost partnerships with nine countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Jordan, Libya, Ethiopia and Nigeria, according to the (BBC).

    EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said project funding could eventually reach $70 billion.    Controversially it may include security help for Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan. More than a million refugees and economic migrants entered the EU via the Mediterranean last year, many of them fleeing chaos and civil war.

    Hundreds also drowned in tragedies at sea, when overcrowded, flimsy boats sank. The EU package will include provision of border surveillance equipment, police training and other technical support to stop migrants heading north.

Source: QNA