Italy, one of the eight founding member countries of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), contributed € 3 million to the Migrant and Refugee Fund (MRF). This contribution brought the total amount committed to the MRF to almost € 24 million.
The MRF is a grant-based facility established by the CEB in 2015 to help its member countries meet the most urgent needs of migrants and refugees on their territory. The Fund may also be used to help CEB member countries integrate migrant populations and enable them to rebuild their lives in dignified conditions.
The CEB endowed the Fund with € 5 million, aiming for an additional € 15 to 20 million in grant contributions from member countries and other donors. Since October 2015, the CEB has allocated € 18 million in grants for a total of 14 migrant and refugee projects in Albania, Croatia, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.
Commenting on the announcement of the Italian contribution, CEB Governor Rolf Wenzel said: “I thank the Italian government for this very generous contribution, which will enable the CEB to continue supporting its member countries tackling issues related to the inflow of migrants and refugees.”