The European Commission announced to grant an additional €7 million in emergency assistance to Greece to provide an immediate response to urgent needs for shelter, catering, hygiene and cleaning services for refugees and migrants.
According to an EC statement, the European Commission has today awarded an additional €7 million in emergency assistance to Greece under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund to provide an immediate response to urgent needs for shelter, catering, hygiene and cleaning services not only in the Aegean islands but also in accommodation camps in mainland Greece.
Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said: “We continue to show solidarity with Greece in managing the migration situation on the islands and the mainland. Housing, cleaning services and food are not a luxury. They are a must. The additional funding awarded today will help improve reception conditions in Greece.”
The funding will enable the Greek authorities to continue improving accommodation centres as well as the support of adequate provision of basic services.
The €7 million awarded today complements the EU emergency funding allocated to Greek authorities and international organisations operating in Greece since 2015 under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF), now standing at €385 million.
This comes on top of the €561 million EU contribution already allocated to Greece under the national programmes 2014-2020 for home affairs (€322.8 million for AMIF and €238 million for ISF).
so, we shake down the actual citizens of european countries and more handouts for those who come here illegally while greeks shiver in the cold.
great priorities, fellas.
For the education of “anon”: refugees are entitled to cross international borders without authorisation. This is the law of Greece, EU law, and the UN 1951 Convention. AS a matter of law, refugees cannot be illegal migrants and cannot be considered to have crossed borders illegally. Of course, we are all aware that in 2016 the Balkan and East European countries decided to ignore the law — with the support of the neo-Nazi politicians in Austria.
And the other point is that the refugees in Aegean island concentration camps are in tents, shivering in the cold. Greeks are not.
@MBE, thanks for clarifying that as it’s a good point and sometimes even good meaning people are not aware of it. However, one thought to ask you since you appear to be well versed on this topic of migration. What about individuals who destroy their documents (passport etc) and then claim to be from a refugee country when in reality they are here as sort of an economic migrant? What do the guidelines or rules say about this situation, and is there any legal remedy (and humane) to ensure that Greece is not taken advantage of by cartels who bring economic migrants posing as refugees. It’s one question I have not been able to get a proper answer from any friends.