EU adopts €220M package to improve border controls in eastern Türkiye

ANKARA

The European Commission on Monday adopted a package worth €220 million (over $232 million) to improve on Türkiye's eastern border.

With the latest package, the EU's support for refugees in Türkiye and for Turkish border management reached €1.2 billion this year.

"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," according to a statement by the commission.

The commission noted that the assistance packages approved in 2022 were composed of four programs, including cash assistance to support refugees, projects implementing Türkiye's Employment Strategy and Sustainable Social-economic Programme for refugees, the Complementary Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) program focused on providing cash to elderly and handicapped refugees, and for border control measures.

According to Oliver Varhelyi, commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, the package demonstrates the EU's continued commitment to work with Türkiye as the country continues to "host refugees and address illegal migration flows."

"We look forward to continuing this important work with Türkiye 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," he said, according to the statement.

Varhelyi added that "as a new element, we will work on supporting to secure Türkiye's Eastern borders to prevent irregular migration, mobilising €220 million, through the delivery of state-of-the-art surveillance equipment."

Under the 2016 migration agreement between Brussels and Ankara, Türkye is required to take back all irregular asylum-seekers who reach the Greek islands from Turkish soil. In exchange, the EU agreed to resettle Syrian refugees from Türkiye through official means.

The statement added that the bloc has mobilized €9.5 billion for refugees and host communities in Türkiye since 2015.

Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution in their countries.

It already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, and is taking new security measures on its borders to humanely prevent an influx of migrants.