Start of implementation of new EU aid package of €7 million to help Serbia deal with refugee crisis

Ambassador Michael Davenport, Head of the EU delegation in Serbia has presented grant agreements to the partners – Serbia’s Commissariat for Refugees and Migration and civil society organisations Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe (HELP), Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB) and Danish Refugee Council (DRC), to start the implementations of a new aid package worth 7 million euros to help Serbia cope with the unprecedented refugee flows. The package will be used to increase operational capabilities of Serbia’s national and local authorities, as well as for purchasing equipment necessary for helping refugees. The funding comes from a special measure adopted on October 7 by the European Commission.

The €7 million special measure is structured in the following way:

• A direct grant of €1.5 million has been awarded to the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration to strengthen its operational capacity to support needs of refugees and migrants and to increase the capacity to coordinate the assistance offered by the reception centres across Serbia.
• Three direct grants in the amount of €1 million each have been awarded to HELP, ASB and DRC to strengthen their capacity to assist the authorities in providing services to effectively manage the migration flows
• The EU Delegation to Serbia is purchasing equipment and supplies in the value of €2.5 million for the Ministry of Interior and Commissariat for Refugees and Migration. The equipment and supply will include vehicles (vans, buses, passenger vehicles, etc.) to help Serbia deliver the necessary services to refugees. First deliveries are expected towards the end of this year.

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