- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
In the Sahel and Lake Chad region, challenges linked to extreme poverty, lack of stability, economic fragility and low resilience remain acute. This is exacerbated by climate change in a region where more than 80% of the population relies essentially on agriculture and pastoral activities. Irregular migration and related crimes such as trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants, corruption, illicit trafficking and transnational organised crime are thriving particularly where there is an insufficient presence of governmental authority and public administration. These security challenges have been increasingly linked to terrorist groups and illicit trafficking of all kinds.
The region also faces growing challenges related to demographic pressure, institutional weaknesses and governance, weak social and economic infrastructures, environmental stress and insufficient resilience to food and nutrition crises. All of these factors are root causes of forced displacement and make people flee conflict, seek protection from persecution or serious harm, or seek new economic opportunities to build a better life. As a consequence, migration pressure is mounting, with serious implication both for the countries in the region and the EU.
Given the proximity of the Sahel to the EU and its immediate neighbourhood, the EU is working closely with the countries of the Sahel and Lake Chad region to support their efforts to achieve peace, security and development.
Related links
Regional programmes
Objectif général:Contribuer à renforcer la gouvernance, la stabilité et la sécurité des 5 pays membres du G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritanie, Niger et Tchad), tout en respectant les meilleures pratiques internationales et les standards internationaux des droits de l’homme.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- Civipol
The overall objective of this Action is to harmonize and structure the national and regional management of police information in the broader West Africa region in order to increase and improve law enforcement capabilities from the concerned countries in their daily work.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- Interpol
Objectif général: Contribuer à la stabilité régionale et à une meilleure gestion des migrations, en s’attaquant aux causes profondes d’instabilité, de déplacements forcés de populations et de migration irrégulière, à travers de meilleures opportunités économiques, l’égalité des chances, la sécurité.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Greater economic and employment opportunities
- Partner
- Expertise France
Contribuer au redressement économique et de la cohésion sociale des territoires du bassin du Lac Tchad les plus impactés par la crise liée à Boko Haram.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Strengthening resilience of communities
- Partner
- Agence Française de Développement
Contribute to poverty reduction and consequently to the settlement of populations and the reduction of irregular migrations (especially to Europe)
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Greater economic and employment opportunities
- Partner
- ITC - International Trade Center
Soutenir les réfugiés et déplacés maliens et accompagner leur retour dans leur région d’origine.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Strengthening resilience of communities
- Partner
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The overall objective of the action is to contribute to strengthening the management and governance of migration and the sustainable reintegration of returning migrants in Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- International Organization for Migration
Objectif général:Contribuer à la sécurité des populations et à la stabilisation tant des pays concernés qu’au niveau régional, y inclus dans les zones éloignées et transfrontalières, comme condition préalable pour leur développement socio-économique durable.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas
L'objectif général est d'encourager l'intégration socio-économique et politique des jeunes dans la société.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- Centre pour le dialogue humanitaire - HD
The Erasmus+ programme actively contributes to improving the quality and international dimension of academic institutions in the region and supports the availability of qualified high-level professional youth in West Africa.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
Le programme vise à consolider la légitimité, le leadership et les capacités opérationnelles des instances interministérielles de lutte contre la traite des personnes et leurs déclinaisons sur le territoire par un appui structurel, organisationnel et la mise en œuvre d’actions préventives ciblées.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- Expertise France
Contribuer à la stabilité régionale et à une meilleure gestion des migrations en accroissant les opportunités économiques et les conditions des populations locales, en particulier les populations vulnérables (femmes et jeunes).
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Greater economic and employment opportunities
- Partner
- Investisseurs & Partenaires
L’objectif global de l'action est d'assurer la protection des migrants les plus vulnérables et leur accès aux services de base pour contribuer à une meilleure gestion de la migration notamment au Sénégal, Gambie, Ghana, Guinée, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Tchad, Cameroun, Mali, Niger et...
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- Caritas Switzerland
- Save the Children
- RED CROSS SPAIN

The overall objective of the action is to better match the offer of labour (skills available on the labour market) to the demand of labour (generated by the local private sector and productive economic growth).
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Greater economic and employment opportunities
- Partner
- Conférence Permanente des Chambres Consulaires Africaines et Francophones
- The Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry
- SEQUA gGmbH Partner of German Business
The overall objective of the Action is to contribute to strengthen the governance of migration in the region and provide protection and sustainable solutions for migrants and refugees along the Central Mediterranean route.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- International Organization for Migration
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The overall objective of the programme is to use an evidence-based approach for programming and implementing interventions in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, as well as to inform policy around the themes of the EUTF in the region.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Other
- Partner
- Altai Consulting
L’objectif général du « Programme d’urgence pour la stabilisation des espaces frontaliers du G5 Sahel» est d’améliorer les conditions de vie, la résilience des populations vulnérables et la cohésion sociale à travers notamment l’amélioration de l’accès à l’eau dans les régions les plus fragiles des.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Strengthening resilience of communities
- Partner
- GIZ
- Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency
- Centre pour le dialogue humanitaire - HD
- Agence Française de Développement
Les objectifs spécifiques sont de soutenir l’AS, à travers le financement de l’UCA, afin : OS1 : de renforcer la coordination entre bailleurs OS2 : d’augmenter l’appropriation des actions de l’aide au développement par le G5 et ses Etats membres OS3 : de promouvoir les actions des bailleurs de l...
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- GIZ
L'objectif global de l’action est de de contribuer à renforcer la sécurité des cinq Etats membres du G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritanie, Niger et Tchad), d’identifier les défis communs auxquels ils doivent faire face et les moyens d’y répondre dans une optique de coopération régionale.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- Civipol
Ce programme, financé à hauteur de EUR 20 million sur le Fonds fiduciaire pour l’Afrique de l’UE pour une durée de trois ans, a pour objectif de contribuer à la promotion de sociétés pacifiques et inclusives dans les cinq pays membres du G5 Sahel en améliorant la confiance entre les populations et..
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- Danish Institute for Human Rights
- The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
The specific objectives are to (1) improve the safety and security of populations and control over lake-bordering territories as well as to (2) improve Human Rights respect by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies in the areas of intervention.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- United Nations Development Programme
Objectif principal :Favoriser le vivre ensemble et une vision constructive de l’avenir en offrant aux jeunes à la fois un sens d’appropriation de leur avenir, le reflet de leur réalité et un contenu authentique, crédible, fiable et inspirant.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Partner
- Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie
L’objectif global est d’appuyer la définition et la mise en oeuvre de réponses efficaces et rapides aux phénomènes d’instabilité, d’insécurité, de déficit de développement et de migrations irrégulières dans l’espace sahélien.
- Region and Country
- Sahel & Lake Chad
- Regional Sahel and Lake
- Thematic
- Greater economic and employment opportunities
- Improved governance and conflict prevention
- Strengthening resilience of communities
- Partner
- Expertise France
Cross-window programmes
The specific objective is to conduct, synthesize, disseminate and make use of new and existing research on the drivers and dynamics of the root causes of instability, insecurity, irregular migration and forced displacement in West and North Africa and migration routes, and the most successful policy...
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Other
- Partner
- ICMPD
- The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime
The overall objective is to increase the efficiency of the Trust Fund, through gender-and-rights-responsive technical assistance for the identification, formulation, evaluation, monitoring of and communication on trust fund interventions, including audits, evaluations/communication actions for this...
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Other
The overall objective of the Action is to contribute to strengthen the governance of migration in the region and provide protection and sustainable solutions for migrants and refugees along the Central Mediterranean route.
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- International Organization for Migration
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The overall objective of the action is to promote sustainable development and ultimately contribute to poverty reduction by increasing the availability of trained and qualified high-level professional manpower in West Africa and the Horn of Africa.
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- Directorate General for Education and Culture
News & Stories

- News article
We are pleased to share the EUTF Horn of Africa and Sahel Lake Chad 2020 2nd Semester and Annual Monitoring and Learning System Reports with annexes.
- 4 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Other

- News article
Every year, thousands of migrants in Africa embark on dangerous journeys to cross the Mediterranean, many with little knowledge of the risks ahead.
- 1 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Regional
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- International Organization for Migration

- Highlighted
- News article
The European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (EUTF for Africa) has launched today a virtual exhibition to celebrate its five years.
- 2 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Other

- Highlighted
- News article
In late August 2020, 118 Ghanaian migrants stranded in Libya due to COVID-19 restrictions were able to go back home.
- 4 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- International Organization for Migration

- Highlighted
- News article
Based on the discussions held at the 7th Board Meeting on 29 September 2020, and further to the consultations with the Council and European Parliament, the Commission adopted the Decision to extend the mandate of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa on the 10th of December.
- 1 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Other

- News article
To bring youth voices to the forefront of action and policy responses, the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth (DJY) and its partners including the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the International Labour Organization, the UN Major Group for Children and Youth, AIESEC, the European Youth...
- 1 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Greater economic and employment opportunities
- Partner
- OIT - ILO - Organisation Internationale du Travail - International Labour Organization

- News article
The COVID-19 outbreak has hit 52 African countries to date.
- 4 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window
- Thematic
- Improved migration management
- Partner
- International Organization for Migration

- News article
"I miss Sudan, I miss its land, I miss its soil.
- 2 min read
- Region and Country
- Cross-window