European commission proposes 250 mln euro aid to third countries concerned by immigration

The European commission proposed on Wednesday the allocation of a 250 million Euro aid over 2004-2008 period to third countries concerned by migration and asylum.

The proposal, part of a financial and technical assistance program, aims to include immigration issues in the European Union's foreign policy, the European commission said in a release.

The new program will bring a "complementary" aid to the concerned countries to support their efforts and guarantee a better management of migration flows.

The aid, the commission stressed, mainly concerns countries that are actively engaged in "the preparation or implementation" of readmission agreements with the European community.

Since 2001, the EU has adopted action plans on immigration involving several African and Asian countries, including Morocco.

The European commission's proposal will be submitted to the European council and parliament for adoption.