Italy and Greece will receive the bulk of aid, with nearly €560 million and €473 million earmarked for the two southern European countries respectively.
Tensions have escalated since the spring as thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa try to reach European shores, with the UN refugee agency calling the “chaotic” situation on Greek islands “shameful”.
More than 2,000 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year, making 2015 a record-year for fatalities, according to the International Organisation for Migration. Several migrants have also died in the French port city of Calais, a bottleneck for migrants attempting to enter Britain via the Eurotunnel.
Some of the newly-approved EU aid will be disbursed to French and British authorities tackling the crisis in Calais.
“We are now able to disburse the funding for the French national programme and the UK has already received the first disbursement of its funding,” Natasha Berthaud, a European Commission spokeswoman, told a news conference.
“Both of these programmes will, amongst other things, also deal with the situation in Calais.”
‘Not acceptable’
Meanwhile, Greek coast guards rescued more than 1,400 migrants near several islands in the Aegean Sea over the past three days, authorities said Monday.
Tens of thousands of people, many of them fleeing war and conflict in Syria and Afghanistan, have been making their way from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable rafts.
Many refugees manage to reach the islands' coasts themselves, walking to the main towns to turn themselves in to local authorities and receive registration papers. The vast majority of them then head to mainland Greece, from where they try to reach more prosperous European nations.
Greece is in the throes of its worst ever financial crisis, and cash-strapped local authorities are overwhelmed by the influx.
Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR director for Europe, said the level of suffering witnessed on Greece’s islands was “unbearable”. “What we have seen was not anything acceptable in terms of standards of treatment," Cochetel said.
Meanwhile, over 140 migrants were found stranded this weekend on motorways in Britain and Austria, with at least a dozen children among them.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS)
france24.com
10/8/15
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Managing migration and financing a safer and more secure Europe: €2.4 billion to support Member States (EC 10.08.15)...
ReplyDeleteThe European Commission has this month approved 23 multiannual national programmes under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF). The total funding for the agreed programmes is approximately €2.4 billion, for the period 2014-2020. Money will now be able to flow to frontline Member States such as Greece and Italy, and to other EU Member States also dealing with high migratory flows. The Commission has worked intensively with Member States to ensure that EU funds are released urgently. 22 national programmes were already approved in March, and an additional 13 programmes will be approved later this year.
Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said: "Member States nowadays face unprecedented challenges in the fields of migration and security and the Commission is taking action in a spirit of solidarity. Through the European Agendas on Migration and Security, the Commission is taking bold steps to improve migration management, foster cooperation and make Europe safer from organised crime and terrorism for our citizens. The national programmes approved by the Commission provide significant financial assistance to the Member States to address these challenges. We are determined to continue to put solidarity into practice."............http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-5483_en.htm?locale=en
10/8/15