European
politicians have reached a compromise on how to finance billions in aid for
Syrian refugees in Turkey. In return, Ankara has pledged to stem the flow of
migrants to the European Union.
Deutsche Welle, 3 February 2016
Under the
financing deal agreed on Wednesday, the European Commission will double its
initial share of the fund to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) while the EU 28
member states pay the remaining 2 billion euros. Germany will contribute the
largest sum with 427.5 million euros coming from Berlin, followed by the UK,
France and Italy, which will each provide 224.9 million euros.
"The
money we are putting on the table will directly benefit Syrian refugees in
Turkey, helping to improve their access to education and healthcare in
particular," said EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans.
The
Brussels deal came as Europe continues to grapple with the huge number of
migrants who arrived on the continent in 2015. Many of the 1 million asylum
seekers who arrived last year crossed through Turkey to reach Greece by boat,
after fleeing the conflict in Syria.
Delayed
negotiations
The EU
initially promised to provide Turkey with financial aid to cope with the Syrian
asylum seekers in November. Negotiations were stalled, however, by disputes
over who should foot the bill.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was particularly vocal during negotiations |
Italy was
at the forefront of the haggling, previously questioning how much of the aid
should come from the EU budget and how much control the bloc will have over how
Ankara spends the funds.
Following
talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, Italian Prime Minister
Matteo Renzi said on Monday that his country would "give our contribution
to solve the issue posed by Turkey."
As part of
the deal, Turkey is expected to help the EU by curbing the number migrants
arriving in Europe.
EU -
leading contributor
Wednesday's
decision came just a day ahead of an international donors' conference for
Syrians, due to take place in London. In addition to the funds for Turkey, the
EU hopes also to be a leading contributor to relief efforts for Lebanon and
Jordan, which are both accommodating a large number of Syrian refugees.
"It is
an important concern for the commission to do everything so that the refugees
can live as close to possible to their countries of origin," EU Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker told EU lawmakers earlier on Wednesday.
ksb/sms (Reuters, AFP, dpa)
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