The European Commission has awarded EUR 12.7 M in emergency funding to Greece to support the establishment of reception facilities on the Greek mainland. The money, to be used to set up at least 8,000 new reception places, “is another sign of the EU's solidarity and strong support to Greece in its efforts to manage the unprecedented migratory flows into the country,” Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said in a statement on Monday. The new funding would help Greece increase its targeted reception capacity to 50,000 places, as agreed at the meeting of Western Balkans leaders in October 2015, Avramopoulos added. The money will go to the procurement and installation of portable prefabricated houses to offer temporary accommodation for migrants and refugees. On Friday, EU member states gave Greece three months to remedy "serious deficiencies" in controlling the migrant influx across its borders or effectively face suspension from Europe’s Schengen zone of passport-free travel. The Commission awarded EUR 146 M in emergency assistance to Greece last year, either directly or through international organizations.
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