EU Commission Proposes Millions in Emergency Funds Amid Migrant Crisis

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The sudden rise in the number of migrants seeking asylum in Europe this year has prompted Brussels to streamline a package of measures, including relocating a total of 160,000 people across the union and allocating emergency funds to countries affected most by the human influx.

As part of its budgetary support initiative for the next six months, the Commission has proposed to increase emergency funding for the most affected states, such as Italy and Greece, by an additional 100 million euro ($111.6 million).

"The EU is ready to mobilise €1 billion [$1.1bln] for Turkey and €17 million [$19mln] for Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to help our neighbours tackle the migration challenge," Juncker continued.

Financial assistance to the UN Refugee Agency, the World Food Program and other organizations helping refugees could also rise by 200 million euro ($223mln).

The Commission will ask the EU Parliament and Council in the coming weeks to revise the 2016 draft budget to earmark 600 million euro ($669mln) for EU agencies like the border security body Frontex, to help them better monitor the borders, and organize the reception and repatriation of migrants.

Juncker urged EU leaders and lawmakers to fast-track the emergency package to address the immediate needs arising from the increased migratory flows.