The European Union will allocate an additional one billion euros to fund aid for refugees in Turkey, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Tuesday in Ankara.
“This extra one billion euros will be provided in 2024 to finance healthcare and education for refugees in Turkey and contribute to migration and border management, including the voluntary return of Syrian refugees,” stated von der Leyen.
"And as the situation evolves on the ground, we can adapt this billion to new needs that may arise in Syria," she added.
The European Union has already allocated "nearly €10 billion" to support over three million refugees living in Turkey, the majority of whom are Syrian, the European Commission President reiterated.
In 2016, Ankara and the European Union reached a controversial migration pact, whereby Turkish authorities committed to combating illegal crossings in exchange for financial aid.
Turkish authorities, facing strong anti-Syrian sentiment among the population, hope that the fall of Bashar al-Assad will allow for the return of significant numbers of refugees to Syria.
