It will fund three new programmes under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

Vice-president Federica Mogherini said: "[The] new programmes will step up our work to managing migration flows in a humane and sustainable way, by saving and protecting lives of refugees and migrants and providing them with assistance and by fighting against traffickers and smugglers.”

The Commission will give €55m in support of national institutions in Morocco and Tunisia to improve maritime border management and fight smugglers operating in the region.

It will also support the protection of refugees in Libya through a €29m programme, together with the International Organisation for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency.

Additionally, €6.5m will go to providing basic services for migrants and improve local associations’ capacity to deliver those services.

The Trust Fund was established in 2016 to address the root causes of irregular migration in Africa. The budget allocated so far amounts to €3.43bn from the EU, its member states and donors.

With the new funding, a total of €461m has been allocated to North Africa for 19 migrant programmes, which can be used in the region and beyond.