The government has announced an ambitious plan to combat human trafficking and irregular migrant flows with an investment of over one billion Danish kroner from 2024 to 2029. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to strengthen border controls and improve conditions for migrants seeking Europe. According to Dan Jørgensen, Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, the government will allocate 400 million kroner in 2024 alone for direct combat against human trafficking. Over the five-year period, the plan is to spend a total of 1.1 billion kroner on various initiatives to strengthen efforts against human traffickers’ networks and improve migration management in North Africa and other key areas.
“We must ensure that migration is stopped as effectively as possible and that the cynical human traffickers exploiting desperate people are stopped,” said Dan Jørgensen. He added that the funds will be used to support local authorities, build databases, and ensure proper handling of documents to improve migration processes. The government’s plan also includes support for organizations working to prevent irregular migration and initiatives to help migrants establish themselves in their home countries upon return.
Although there has been talk in the past of establishing reception centers in third countries, such as Rwanda, the government emphasizes that they continue to seek an EU-based solution to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated effort against human trafficking. The funding for these initiatives will come from the so-called Neighbourhood and Migration Fund, which is part of the Danish budget. Dan Jørgensen assures that there will be strict control mechanisms to ensure that the funds are used correctly, even in countries where the regulatory framework may be challenging.
“We are using the tools we have experience with to minimize risks when Danish tax money is used internationally,” the minister said about handling the fund’s resources. This new initiative is part of the government’s ongoing work to address migration challenges both humanely and effectively while combating illegal human trafficking, which has significant human costs.