Following an emergency meeting of European leaders on Thursday (23/04/15) to discuss the issue of refugees trying to reach Europe across the Mediterranean Sea, the European Union has doubled emergency aid to frontline member states Italy, Greece and Malta to €50 million (£35m) a year.
EU Commission spokeswoman Natasha Berthaud announced the funding increase after EU leaders pledged more help for countries struggling to cope with mass migration from war-torn countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged support from the Royal Navy in search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean – but has ruled out Britain taking in asylum seekers.
However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on more EU countries to accept refugees who land in Italy, Greece and Malta – Germany and France are the most popular countries for refugees to claim asylum in.
The funding boost will be used to set up more reception centres and provide more medical care for newly-arrived migrants.
Around 11,000 migrants have arrived on Mediterranean shores in the last week – and an estimated 1,300 have drowned at sea.
EU leaders have also pledged to triple the funding of the EU’s border patrols in the Mediterranean to €9m (£6.5m) a month.
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