EU dedicates 2.4 billion euros funding for migration crisis

The European Commission on Monday approved 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion) of aid over six years for countries including Greece and Italy that have struggled to cope with a surge in numbers of immigrants.

Italy is to receive the most aid - nearly 560 million euros, while Greece will receive 473 million.

Tensions have escalated this year as thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa try to gain asylum in the European Union.

In Calais, a bottleneck for migrants attempting to enter Britain illegally through the Eurotunnel from France, has seen several migrant deaths this month.

Britain has already received its 27 million euros from the commission in emergency aid funding, which it applied for in March. France will receive its 20 million euros later this month.

However, neither country has requested additional aid for security in Calais and will not receive funds from the aid programmes announced today.

“Member States nowadays face unprecedented challenges in the fields of migration and security and the Commission is taking action in a spirit of solidarity,” Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said.

“Bold steps must be taken to improve migration management, foster cooperation and make Europe safer from organised crime and terrorism for our citizens”, he added.

“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," he insisted.

"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."

The Commission plans to approve an additional 13 programmes later this year, which will then be implemented by EU member states.