220 million Euro package to improve border control at Türkiye's eastern border

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The European Commission (EC) has adopted a €220 million package to improve border control at Türkiye's eastern border.

According to a press release of the Commission issued on Monday (December 12), together with this last package the total EU assistance adopted in 2022 to support to refugees in Türkiye and for border management has reached €1.235 billion (23,6 billion lira).

It is stated in the press release that besides border management, this financial assistance from the EU to Türkiye is in order to continue support for refugees in Türkiye, for their basic needs, for assistance for the most vulnerable, and for providing them socio-economic support.

The EC announced that these funds are part of the additional €3 billion, announced in June 2021, following the European Council, to continue EU assistance to refugees in Türkiye between 2021 and 2023.

Over €1.2 billion assistance package for four programmes

Four programs included in the scope of the financial assistance have been identified in the announcement as follows:

€220 million to support further border control measures at Türkiye's Eastern border. This programme will notably fund new equipment such as surveillance masts, cameras, lightning systems at the border with Iran and Iraq, as well as training for officials in matters such as the use of border management technologies, migration law, humanitarian border management, fundamental rights, and responding to large-scale mixed migration flows.

€400 million to continue cash assistance to support refugees meet their daily basic needs under the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN), one of the flagship programmes under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey. As part of the strategy to transition from humanitarian support to development assistance, the fourth phase of the ESSN continues the provision of cash assistance, while strengthening the linkages and pathways to access the labour market.

€234 million for projects implementing Türkiye's Employment Strategy and Sustainable Social-economic Programme for refugees. This assistance will focus on increasing refugee employability, including by providing vocational and skills training, among other support.

€381 million to continue the Complementary-ESSN programme focused on providing cash support for the most vulnerable refugees (elderly, handicapped, etc.).

€4.9 billion have been disbursed to date 

EU's Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi told the media in relation with the new package, "This assistance package demonstrates that the EU continues to deliver on its commitment to cooperate with Türkiye host refugees and address illegal migration flows."

Varhelyi stressed that the EU was "looking forward to continuing this important work with Turkiye in line with the March 2016 Statement, including increased efforts to stop irregular migration flows, increase the number of resettlements, and resume returns from the Greek islands."

Praising the support provided by Ankara to refugees, he pointed out that Turkiye had been hosting the "largest refugee community in the world, around 4 million refugees since 2015."

According to the press release from the EC, the EU has mobilised €9.5 billion for refugees and host communities in Türkiye since 2015. This includes as a key component of the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement, the €6 billion Facility for Refugees in Turkey, with €3 billion from the EU budget and €3 billion from the EU Member States. From the Facility envelope over €4.9 billion have been disbursed to date. (SD/PE)