7.5 million euros to improve Luxembourg refugee facilities

(AFP/JB) Luxembourg is to receive 7.5 million euros to help improve facilities for welcoming refugees over the coming five years.

The funding comes from a 2.4-billion-euro pot approved by the European Commission on Monday to be shared among 19 European countries.

The two main beneficiaries will be Italy with 558 million euros and Greece with 474 million euros.

Other beneficiaries are Spain (521,8 million euros), Sweden (154 million), Hungary (61,4 million), Bulgaria (72,7 million), Cyprus (74 million), Austria (26,5), Estonia (35,2), Finland (52,9), Irelande(9,2), la Lithuania (17,2), Malta (74,6), Poland (69,3), Portugal (38,6), Romania (98,4), Slovakia (13) and Slovenia (41).

The funding comes from the Fund for asylum, migration and integration (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF), which have a total budget of 7 billion euros for the period 2014- 2020.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday promised to take steps to improve childcare facilities and procedures for migrants and refugees who flock to his country.

The Office of the United Nations Refugees (UNHCR) had denounced the current situation as "shameful" and demanded an emergency response. According to UNHCR, 174,000 people arrived in the islands of Greece from Turkey between January and July, including 50,000 for the month of July alone.

Earlier in the summer, Luxembourg agreed to admit 300 asylum seekers and 30 refugees as part of a Europe-wide relocation programme aimed at sharing responsibility for the thousands of refugees living in camps outside of the EU or stranded in Italy and Greece.

The first people to be welcomed to Luxembourg under this agreement are expected in October, this year.

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