Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said on Wednesday that Croatia had spent HRK 22 million on migrant care and transport so far and that EUR 5 million had been set aside for it from European emergency funds.
He told reporters the emergency funds were requested on the second day since migrants started arriving in Croatia and that the European migration commissioner said that EUR 70 million were available from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. He said Croatia was in such a situation that it could draw from the Schengen Facility Fund too.
Ostojic said the EUR 5 million was enough to cover two-month costs if refugees continued to arrive at the current pace. "The part we wouldn't pay for is transport to Hungary, which will be dealt with either through donations or funds from the state budget."
He said Croatia had committed to covering "all costs - public works, police officers, food from buffer stocks, the equipment that has been used up, the blankets that have been destroyed, damages to the local community... regardless of whether it will have money from the EU or not."
The government must make an additional effort so that citizens do not feel it financially and spending those funds is "the right thing," notably so because it stops migrants from staying in Croatia, which would cause enormous costs," Ostojic said.
EU Funds Minister Branko Grcic confirmed that financial aid in the refugee crisis was being discussed with EU bodies. "There is a special provision fund, with an emphasis on more permanent provision, the construction of certain facilities and provision of all conditions in them... We are concentrated on enabling these people's transfer through Croatia on to their final destinations, more developed Western countries and we hope it will stay so and that Croatia, aside from the envisaged quota, won't have to make additional efforts."
He said the costs of local government and hauliers would be covered from the budgetary reserves.
(Text: Hina)
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