The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), Ambassador Tomáš Boček, attended the Council of Europe Development bank’s (CEB) signature ceremony of a grant agreement with Instituto Nacional de Gestión Sanitaria (INGESA), in Melilla today. The CEB is providing the Spanish authorities with € 1.15 million to support healthcare services for migrants and refugees transiting through the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
“This is a good example of the swift reaction of the Council of Europe Development Bank in supporting member states facing challenges in concrete situations” said Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.
The CEB grant will contribute to the provision of enhanced healthcare assistance as well as to the faster identification and proper registration of migrants and refugees, through the acquisition of key equipment, the use of new biometric processes, and the appropriate training of personnel. The funds will also ensure that migrant patients infected with HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis, and also pregnant women receive appropriate medical assistance and follow-up care.
Vice-Governor Sánchez-Yebra said: “Migrant inflows into Europe are far from over and the CEB continues to assist its member countries not only in dealing with arriving or transiting migrants and refugees but also in ensuring their smooth integration into society. Healthcare is a priority area. The CEB grant will ensure that the healthcare system of Ceuta and Melilla can offer quality medical assistance to vulnerable migrants and refugees.”
The funds are provided from the Migrant and Refugee Fund (MRF), a grant-based facility established by the CEB in 2015 to help member states tackle the inflow of migrants and refugees.
