The European Commission has approved a new assistance package worth €400m to introduce new facilities to educate Syrian refugees in Turkey.
The new funding is part of a second tranche of €3bn in financing that will be allocated through the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey, and will be granted to the Turkish Ministry of National Education to continue an ongoing scheme to educate Syrian refugees which will expire in October 2018. The programme will last three academic years, and support efforts to improve social cohesion and economic opportunities for refugees in Turkey.
The additional €400m will broaden the scope beyond the parameters of the current refugee education project in Turkey, focusing on outreach to broaden its impact, and increasing the quality of formal education for students. To improve the opportunities for refugees to apply for asylum and to settle in the country, the new programme will fund Turkish language training for adults in public education centres.
What are the European Commission’s priorities for the programme?
The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey was established following the conclusion of the EU-Turkey Agreement, under which migrants whose asylum applications were rejected in the EU could be returned to Turkey in exchange for the resettlement of migrants from Syria. By providing billions of euros on funding, the EU aims to ensure the sustainability of its activities to support migrants even beyond the period of funding.
The agreement for the new funding comes alongside a series of Commission efforts to tackle the challenges of irregular migration, which has developed into a serious problem for Europe in recent years. Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, said that the funding reflects the EU’s commitment to help refugees and asylum seekers.
He stated: “With the endorsement of the second tranche of funding by EU Member States, we are continuing to deliver on our commitment to support Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkey. The approval of this new assistance package is proof of this, allowing for the smooth continuation of our support in addressing the needs of both students and teachers.”
