In 2020, the Atlantic route saw a sharp increase in use by refugees and migrants for a range of reasons. Some relate to the characteristics of the route itself, such as the perception that it is a relatively short and direct way into Europe. Others pertain to the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance unfounded rumours that the high number of coronavirus deaths in Europe has boosted demand for labour.
Migration has long been a hallmark of Sahelian populations, with people migrating to mitigate the impacts of environmental degradation and diversify access to livelihoods sources, which remain predominantly based on agricultural activities and natural resources. When the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 emerged in the region in March 2020, governments were prompt to take action, imposing movement restrictions, closing international borders and implementing localised lockdowns, all in view of limiting the spread of the virus. However, this affected long-held seasonal migration patterns, putting on hold an important source of supplementary revenue for millions of Sahelians across the region. This report aims to gauge the impact of these restrictions on environmental migrants' lives in the immediate, mid- and longer term.
Start Network’s first virtual Assembly meeting took take place from Monday 12 to Thursday 15 October 2020, alongside our 10-year anniversary celebrations. Watch the recordings of the sessions related to MERF and access all the learning materials below.
Between August 2018 and October 2019, the Migration Emergency Response Fund (MERF) funded three 3-month long projects in Morocco. Though available in 11 countries, the MERF contingency fund has been primarily used in Morocco, in part due to the described spikes in needs starting in 2018 and lack of other sources of funding.
A management response to the Migration Emergency Response Fund (MERF) Research Piece
This research piece attempts to navigate the discussion and explore Start Network members’, donors’ and staff perceptions and experiences of the Start Network’s dedicated Migration Emergency Response Fund (MERF), with a view to making practical recommendations in support of Start Network’s institutional engagement with mixed migration going forward.
The Migration Emergency Response Fund is a UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded rapid response, context specific, contingency fund run by the Start Network to respond to changes in the context, spikes, ongoing gaps and acute needs among refugees and other migrants along the central Mediterranean route.
As part of Start's Migration Emergency Response Fund, Network members Mercy Corps, ACTED and IRC have conducted an assessment of how different cash delivery mechanisms serve migrant and refugee populations in Libya.
