UK aid interventions designed to address irregular migration
through the central Mediterranean are currently some distance
from making a measurable impact, a new review has found.
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) – which
scrutinises taxpayer-funded UK aid – also warned that there is a
risk that some programmes supported by UK aid in the region could
cause unintended harm to vulnerable migrants.
ICAI’s review – The UK’s aid response to irregular
migration in the central Mediterranean – said
the government was scaling up efforts to
provide humanitarian support, protection to migrants, or to
tackle the root causes of irregular migration, but was at an
early stage of determining how aid could reduce irregular
migration into Europe.
The review found some of the new initiatives, specifically the
upcoming Jobs Compact in Ethiopia which aims to create 30,000
jobs for refugees as part of much larger job creation for host
communities, had the potential to be successful.
But it said in some cases existing aid programming in the broad
field of economic development had been unhelpfully re-labelled as
‘migration-related’ when there was insufficient evidence about
how it would impact migration, including work in the energy
sector, the extractives industry and national financial
governance.
And the review warned that the risk that some UK aid could
cause unintended harm to vulnerable migrants, or prevent refugees
from reaching a place of safety, had been inadequately assessed.
This risk was particularly pronounced in Libya, where the UK
government provides support to the coastguard and detention
authorities.
The review highlighted significant evidence gaps on what
influences migration decisions, and praised the UK government’s
investment in research and evidence-collection in these areas.
Dr Alison Evans, ICAI’s chief commissioner who led the
review, said: “Global migration is increasingly an important
issue for UK aid, but in addressing this thegovernment
faces a complex and rapidly changing context, and a range of
difficulties.
“The forthcoming Jobs Compacts in Ethiopia, which aims to create
employment opportunities for refugees and host communities, is
promising, and could make a positive impact.
“However we are concerned that some UK aid programmes have
unhelpfully been re-labelled as ‘migration-related’ when there is
little evidence they will reduce irregular migration. We are also
concerned about the risk of unintended harm to vulnerable
migrants, particularly in difficult operating contexts such as
Libya, and we have urged the government to do more to identify
and manage these risks.
“UK aid’s focus on irregular migration is at its early stages,
but at the moment our review found it is some distance from
making a measurable impact in the central Mediterranean.”
Based on the review, ICAI made three recommendations for
strengthening the government’s UK aid response to irregular
migration:
- · The UK
government should not label development programmes as
migration-related unless they target specific groups with a known
propensity to migrate irregularly and can offer a testable theory
of change as to how they will influence migration choices.
- · The
responsible departments should invest in adapting monitoring and
evaluating methods to the long causal chains between
interventions and irregular migration patterns, and ensure that
the new portfolio of programmes already in design include strong
baselines and monitoring arrangements.
- · The UK aid
response to irregular migration should be informed by robust
conflict, human rights and political economy analysis,
to ensure that it does not inadvertently do harm to vulnerable
refugees and migrants. This information should be fed in at
an early stage of project or programme design and documentation
should contain a clear articulation of the risks, benefits and
risk appetite.
Notes to editors:
1. In its 2015 Aid Strategy
the UK government pledged that UK aid would be restructured to
tackle the “root causes of mass migration”, among other global
challenges, including through increased spending in Syria and
other fragile and conflict-affected states.
2. The central Mediterranean
migration route is migration through transit countries in North
Africa into southern Europe. It is currently the largest and most
dangerous route for irregular migrants into Europe, with 4,576
verified deaths at sea in 2016.
3. The Independent Commission
for Aid Impact works to improve the quality of UK development
assistance through robust, independent scrutiny. We provide
assurance to UK taxpayers by conducting independent reviews of
the effectiveness and value for money of UK aid. We operate
independently from government, reporting to Parliament, and our
mandate covers all UK official development assistance.
4. ICAI rapid reviews are
short reviews which examine emerging areas or issues of the UK
aid programme. They are not designed to reach final conclusions
on effectiveness or impact, and therefore are not scored.
5. For more information about
this ICAI review, including the Approach Paper which sets out the
methodology in more detail, click here.
