Greek Reporter — The European Commission has allotted Greece 12.7 million euros to tackle the migrant crisis, European Commission Chief Spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said today.
Athens is currently implementing a program of construction of five so-called hotspot centers for hosting and registering refugees on country’s islands of Chios, Kos, Leros, Lesbos and Samos.
However, the extra emergency funding for Greece is to be used for refugees, migration and integration, Schinas said. It will be used to set up 8,000 accommodation places for refugee and migrants.
European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said that the extra emergency funding is yet another indication of EU’s solidarity and support towards Greece, thereby trying to put to rest rumors that EU authorities seek to isolate Greece and push the Schengen area closer to central Europe.
Avramopoulos said that the EU is fully cognizant of the challenges facing Greek authorities and will provide additional help to Greece with the aim of increasing accommodation space for refugees and migrants.
The European Commission has also released 10 million euros to help FYROM “improve its border and migration management systems.”
