European Commission approves funding for migrant crisis

BRUSSELS, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- The European Commission approved 2.4 billion Euros ($2.6 billion) Monday for member countries working to incorporate migrants into their populations.

The majority of the funding, which will be spread over six years, will go to two countries facing the majority of immigration cases, Italy, with 560 million Euros ($614 million), and Greece, with 473 million Euros ($518 million). Some of the aid will also be distributed to British and French authorities dealing with immigration to Britain through the Channel Tunnel at Calais, France.

"We are now able to disburse the funding for the French national program and the U.K. has already received the first disbursement of its funding. Both of these programs will, amongst other things, also deal with the situation in Calais, said European Commission spokeswoman Natasha Berthaud.

European countries are overwhelmed by an influx of migrants, fleeing poverty, war and human rights violations, largely from Middle Eastern and northern African countries. Once they receive registration papers in Europe, many travel to Greece, a country involved in a recession and financial crisis, before they head to more prosperous European cities.

An opinion poll in late July by Eubarometer indicated four in 10 Europeans regard immigration as the European Union's largest problem. It was identified by 65 percent of Germans and 55 percent of Maltese citizens as the most pressing concern, although only 16 percent of Portuguese and 27 percent of Greek respondents consider it thusly.