The European Commission has committed to providing an additional €3bn for the EU facility for Syrian refugees in Turkey, as part of the EU-Turkey agreement.
This second tranche of funding will mirror the first tranche, which was provided in 2016-17 and consisted of €1bn from the EU budget alongside an additional €2bn from member states. The EU facility for Syrian refugees in Turkey was established as a response to the 2015 migrant crisis, and aims to benefit refugees fleeing conflict in Syria.
The money will support a number of humanitarian projects, covering the basic needs of refugees including protection, education and healthcare, which will benefit 1.2m of the most vulnerable refugees. In addition, some refugees in Turkish facilities will be sent monthly cash payments to support their basic needs.
What projects will the EU fund?
The second tranche of funding will offer vocational training to some 15,100 refugees, and offer an additional 7,400 people career counselling and assistance with job searches, as part of a wider effort to support socio-economic development.
The projects will also include the construction and equipping of 125 solid structures and 50 prefabricated schools, which could benefit some 124,000 children annually. This will be funded alongside training provided by the Turkish Ministry of National Education in the Turkish language, which has already benefited 312,000 children.
What has the European Commission said about the agreement?
European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who is responsible for European Neighbourhood Policy, said that socio-economic development in refugee communities in Turkey would ease migratory pressure in the area.
He said: “Today, the commission takes the first step in the mobilisation of additional support under the facility for Syrian refugees in Turkey. The publication of the second annual report clearly highlights the positive results achieved so far and how vital and effective the facility is, in supporting the most vulnerable refugees and their host communities in Turkey, thus reducing migratory pressures.”
