EU to Pay Turkey 50 Million Euros as Refugee Support

Click to read the article in Turkish

Maciej Popowski, the European Commission Deputy Director General for Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, has announced that the European Union (EU) has "prepared a set of measures amounting to 50 million euros" so that Turkey could "improve the capacities of its coast guard to perform search and rescue operations" for refugees.

As reported by Deutsche Welle Türkçe, speaking at a meeting in Brussels, Popowski has stated that while a significant amount of this money will be paid to Turkey to boost its coast guard, the rest of the money will be given "to improve the conditions in migrant detention centers and to help the ones permitted to stay in Turkey to better integrate into society."

The money will be drawn from a budget meant to prepare Turkey for its accession to the European Union and from a separate "peace and stability" fund, Popowski has indicated further.

According to the figures shared by the EU, between January and September 2019, 46 thousand 546 refugees went to EU countries through Turkey. (EKN/SD)