on Migration

BRUSSELS - The European Commission has approved approximately 2.4 billion euros (2.63 billion U.S. dollars) to support member states on managing migration, it said in a press release Monday.

The funding is under the European Union (EU)'s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF) with a total budget of almost 7 billion euros.

Money will flow to frontline member states such as Greece, Italy and others also dealing with high migratory flows for the period 2014-2020.

The AMIF funding supports national efforts to improve reception capacities, integrate migrants at local and regional levels and increase the effectiveness of return program.

Funding from ISF complements national efforts to improve member states' border management and surveillance, in particular through the use of modern technologies.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship said: "Member States nowadays face unprecedented challenges in the fields of migration and security and the Commission is taking action in a spirit of solidarity."

"The national programs approved by the Commission provide significant financial assistance to the Member States to address these challenges," he said.

The European Commission has approved 23 national programs under the AMIF and ISF in August, and an additional 13 program will be approved later this year. (1 euro = 1.09 U.S. dollars) (Xinhua)