February 8 (SeeNews) - Serbia's government said on Thursday it received a 16 million euro ($19.6 million) grant from the European Union (EU) to enhance the shelter capacity of migrants in the country.
Serbia plans to allocate social workers to unaccompanied migrant minors and to support schools to enroll children of migrants, the country's labour minister Zoran Djordjevic said, as quoted in a statement by the government.
Moreover, support will be provided to the healthcare system, reimbursing the costs of hospitals servicing migrants, Djordjevic said.
The overall objective of this support is to respond to the needs of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia through support to the national authorities including enhancing shelter capacity and delivery of services, the EU delegation to Serbia said in a separate statement on Wednesday.
In this way, the EU supports Serbia’s efforts to ensure adequate access to all types of necessary healthcare services for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, as well as to ensure access to quality formal and non-formal education for child migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
The EU Commission said on Tuesday it adopted a strategy for supporting the EU integration of the Western Balkans, focusing on the need for fundamental reforms and good neighbourly relations. The strategy, named "A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans", includes six flagship initiatives that the EU will take over the next years to support the transformation efforts of the Western Balkans in areas of mutual interest, the Commission said.
($=0.8170 euro)