EU action plan for the distribution of refugees

The European Commission has put an urgent and comprehensive action plan in place aimed at redistributing refugees who are already in Italy, Greece and Hungary, fairly among EU Member States.

Based on the plan adopted by the Commission in May for the distribution of 40,000 refugees, some 120,000 refugees will be distributed under the mandatory quota system from the three most affected countries across the 22 Member States.

The plan considers key criteria when determining the mandatory quotas such as each country’s area, gross national product, the number of refugees previously admitted and unemployment rates. It does not include Denmark and leaves Britain and Ireland free to decide whether to participate or not. Under the plan, 15,600 refugees will be relocated from Italy, 50,400 from Greece, and 54,000 from Hungary. Each country will receive €6,000 in financial aid from the EU budget for each refugee it receives, as €780 million have been allocated by the EU for the plan. Countries that opened their doors to refugees temporarily – Greece, Hungary and Italy – will receive €500 per refugee.

The plan gives priority to Syrians, Iraqis and Eritreans. It also stipulates that a refugee is not allowed to move from the country they have been placed.

It also puts emphasis on the necessity of establishing “a permanent relocation mechanism for all Member States” to help create a quick response and solutions to crises and re-evaluates the situation every six months.