Regional Development Protection Programme for North Africa
The Protection pillar of the North Africa Regional Development and Protection Programme is co-funded by DG Home, Italy and some Member States. Its goal is to reinforce the protection of migrants and refugees by improving their living conditions and by offering them achievable and meaningful alternatives to irregular migration across the central Mediterranean route. It also supports migrant-friendly inclusive services, social cohesion and employment opportunities at community level, enhancing advocacy, research and knowledge-sharing.
The Programme has reached its fifth phase since 2016 and till 2021 has been funding 57 projects.
It is managed by a Consortium of EU Member States lead by Italy with the participation of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Czech Republic, Spain and Sweden, that meet twice a year together with EU COM in Steering Committees to monitor projects’ implementation, review achievements and challenges and select new activities for funding.
The main supported activities are:
Registration, Refugee Status Determination and Durable Solutions for asylum-seekers and refugees
Child Protection for children on the move
Direct Assistance for migrants and refugees, including: distribution of food and non-food items, medical, legal and psychosocial assistance, Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegration (AVRR) to the countries of origin, rehabilitation of reception facilities
Capacity building initiatives in support of national Governments, NGOs and civil society organizations with a specific focus on human rights standards, international protection and services for vulnerable migrants and refugees
Awareness raising activities on the risks related to irregular migration and access to international protection
