EU Commission Plans Voluntary Resettlement of Refugees Residing in Turkey

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The European Commission will prepare proposals to voluntarily resettle refuges residing in Turkey throughout the European Union, the Commission's Deputy Chief Spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, said on Monday.

On Sunday, the European Commission held a joint Summit with Turkey, which is not a EU member. Among the major issues on the agenda were Turkey's prospective membership of the bloc and the ongoing refugee crisis. Following the meeting, a deal was agreed upon, under which Turkey promised to help Europe cope with migrant crisis in return for financial assistance and renewed talks on its accession to the European Union.

"The next steps on resettlement were discussed on the margins of the summit. [European Commission] President [Jean-Claude] Juncker said himself that… the Commission will prepare a framework for a voluntary scheme by December 15, and this will be an open and voluntary process," Andreeva told reporters.

The resettlement plan also applies to refugees residing in Turkey, she added, recalling that following the Sunday summit, the European Commission, as well as eight EU member states, fully supported the German initiative to voluntarily resettle refugees currently in Turkey.

In recent months, the European Union has been struggling to cope with a massive influx of refugees, many of whom have fled conflict-torn Syria. Turkey currently hosts the largest share of Syrian refugees.