New 65M euro for four EU countries, including Bulgaria, hosting people fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine
The European Commission (EC) said on December 18 that it had decided last week to make available more than 65 million euro from the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to support Bulgaria, Czechia, Poland, and Romania in hosting people fleeing the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
This decision follows a targeted call for financing of the projects aiming to alleviate the pressure on the reception capacity of these member states and to help them ensure that beneficiaries of temporary protection receive the necessary support, services and assistance, the EC said.
The European Union is currently hosting more than 4.1 million people benefiting from temporary protection, which was triggered for the first time shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in September this year further extended until March 2025.
The Commission continues to take measures to support people fleeing Ukraine and Member States hosting them, the EC said.
The EC said that Bulgaria, Czechia, Poland, and Romania can now use this additional funding from the EU budget to help beneficiaries of temporary protection move out of collective accommodation towards private housing, by supporting them financially during the transition period, with language and vocational training, as well with as access to social and health services.
Member Ssates agencies, civil society organisations and international organisations can start implementing their projects already as of today, the EC said.
The funding will be subject to the respective monitoring and control systems of the EU financial framework.
(Archive photo, from March 2022: UNHCR/Chris Melzer)
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