By Alexander Saeedy
- Fighting breaks out among migrants on Greek island
- Hopes fade for survivors of latest Med boat tragedy
- Mediterranean a story of death, desperation
- Path of Hope in heavy use again
Brussels: The European Commission on Monday approved €2.4 billion ($3.6 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, while Greece will receive €473 million.
A migrant boy waits at his parents' suitcase as they leave the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs with other newly arrived refugees on Monday.Credit: Reuters
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.
A Bangladeshi migrant, pending temporary documentation, watches from the port of Kos, Greece, a ferry bound for the port of Piraeus near Athens on Monday.Credit: Reuters
Britain has already received its €27 million from the commission in emergency aid funding, which it applied for in March. France will receive its €20 million later this month.
Neither country has requested additional aid for security in Calais and will not receive funds from the latest aid program.
"We are now able to disburse the funding for the French national program and the UK has already received the first disbursement of its funding," Natasha Berthaud, a European Commission spokeswoman, said. .
"Both of these programs will, amongst other things, also deal with the situation in Calais."
Migrants and refugees with temporary documents and a few tourists run to embark a ferry bound for Athens on the Greek island of Kos on Monday.Credit: Reuters
The Commission plans to approve an additional 13 programs later this year, which will then be implemented by EU member states.
Reuters
Volunteers sing with migrant children in front of the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs where they wait with other migrants to apply for asylum.Credit: Reuters
Follow FairfaxForeign on Twitter
Follow FairfaxForeign on Facebook
A migrant shaves himself inside an abandoned hotel where dozens of migrants have been living the last weeks at Kos town, Greece.Credit: AP