European, African leaders sign migration agreement

Over fifty European and African leaders have signed an agreement at a
two-day summit in Malta,increasing aid to Africa in exchange for help
managing the migrant crisis.

While the measures are meant to create more opportunity Africa, plans
to deport migrants are controversial.

Ira Spitzer reports from the summit in Valletta, Malta.

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SCRIPT

VO1: European leaders such as France's Francois Hollande made a show of
signing an agreement promising 1.8 billion euros of fresh aid to
African countries.

But the expectation of something in return - slowing the flow of
African migrants - was clear as well.

As tensions rise in Europe, the migrant crisis may be the threatening
one of the pillars of the EU - the borderless Schengen zone between
member states.

CUT 1: Donald Tusk, European Council President: "The recent
developments in Germany, in Sweden, in Slovenia, and in other
countries, all show with utmost clarity the huge pressure member
states are facing. Saving Schengen is a race against time. And we are
determined to win that race."

VO2: But while some of the African leaders said they welcomed the help from
Europe, there was also skepticism that the money would make much of a
difference. Countries like Eritrea where many migrants come from are
already dealing with the extreme poverty and lack of a functional
government .

In fact African countries have much larger number of migrants on their
own continent than the 120,000 or so who have made the dangerous
crossing to Europe this year.

CUT 2: Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chair of African Union Executive: "Most
of the migration of Africans is within the African continent. That the
number of people who actually go to Europe are a tiny minority compare
to the millions that migrate within the continent.

VO3: The agreement also lays out controversial plans to return migrants in
Europe back to their countries of origins, with the idea that it would
start by the end of next year.

The fund though IS supposed to increase education and employment
opportunities and European and African leaders also discussed opening
more paths to legal migration.

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