WIREDGOV

The European Commission yesterday adopted a €220 million package to improve border control at Türkiye's Eastern border, bringing to €1.235 billion the total EU assistance adopted in 2022 to continue support to refugees in Türkiye -basic needs, assistance for the most vulnerable and socio-economic support – and for border management. 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.

The over €1.2 billion assistance package adopted this year is composed of four programmes:

• €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.).
• €220 million to support further border control measures at Türkiye's Eastern border. This programme will notably fund new equipment (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.

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