Coronavirus: Commission approves additional funding to support reception facilities in Greece

Today the Commission will allocate €25 million to Greece under the Emergency Support Instrument to support the medical capacity in reception facilities for migrants living on the Greek mainland and on the islands. This funding will both reinforce the medical infrastructure in the reception centres and support public hospitals in host communities in Greece facing increased demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. On this grant decision Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “Being European means protecting the most vulnerable. With today’s funding we are helping migrant and host communities in Greece to improve access healthcare for all, particularly important during the pandemic.” Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said: “The virus is our common enemy. We know that it disproportionately affects vulnerable communities. This additional support will help the Greek authorities to better safeguard people residing in the reception centres as well as relieving pressure on existing healthcare services.”  The funding will help to minimise the risk of infection, reinforce medical equipment in public hospitals, assist authorities in carrying out health checks and providing primary medical assistance, and finally provide bio-medical waste incinerators, isolation and quarantine units. This support comes on top of €8 million provided under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund for the immediate response to the coronavirus pandemic in the islands of the Aegean where the reception and identification centres are located. Support is also provided under the ongoing project PHILOS II funded under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund’s Greek National Programme (€37.5 million EU contribution) which, amongst others, focuses on the deployment of medical staff and assessment of the epidemiological situation in the reception centres.