In a statement, The European Commission (EC) said yesterday that an additional 37.5 million euros will be distributed to Greece in emergency assistance to improve migrant reception conditions at the country’s borders.
Arrivals from Turkey to Greece continue by both sea and land, increasing migratory pressures for the crisis – and now fire-stricken – country.
“Migration is a European challenge and we need a European solution, where no member-state is left alone,” European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said.
“Greece has been on the front-line since 2015 and while the situation has greatly improved since the EU-Turkey statement, we continue to assist the country with the challenges it is still facing,” he added reassuring that “the EC’s political, operational and financial support for Greece remains tangible and uninterrupted.”
More specifically, the EU’s executive branch said that Greek authorities will receive 31.1 million euros to support the “provisional services” offered to migrants, which will include healthcare, interpretation and food.
The funding is also destined to help improve the infrastructure of the Fylakio reception center in Evros, in northern Greece, one of the most burdened hot-spots having seen an unprecedented increase in arrivals from Turkey since the start of the year.
In addition, migrant reception facilities in the Aegean islands and the mainland will also benefit from the funding with an extra 6.4 million euros being allocated to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).