This paper evaluates whether the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) has reduced migration aspirations in African origin regions. Using sub-national data from the EUTF's Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning System (MLS) and individual-level data from the Gallup World Poll, we employ a difference-indifferences approach. Our findings indicate that sub-national regions where EUTF projects were implemented on average experienced substantial reductions in migration aspirations. We find similar effects by gender. Our investigations of potential mechanisms point to a particular relevance of improvements in satisfaction with the standard of living and the availability of basic services. Our paper thus adds to the debate on the effectiveness of development assistance in shaping migration decisions.
