EU commission may give Lithuania EUR 10 mln to help deal with migration crisis

  • 2021-07-12
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – The European Commission is planning to allocate 10 million euros to Lithuania in August to help it cope with an influx of migrants via neighboring Belarus, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said on Monday.  

"One important area of response from the Commission is financial support. The Commission is ready to support Lithuania in addressing the emergency situation and meting the most pressing needs of refugees," Johansson said at an extraordinary joint meeting of the European Parliament's Committees on Foreign Affairs and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

"An amount of 10 million euros [...] could be made available" from various funds in August, she said, adding that the Commission is also looking for possibilities to cover additional needs.  

Lithuanian authorities have detained a total of 1,676 migrants, mostly from Middle Eastern and African countries, on the border with Belarus this year so far, 20 times more than last year.

Belarus says it is no longer keeping migrants on its territory due to the EU's sanctions.