1.36 million euros to Greece to buy 90 fingerprinting devices

The European Commission on Wednesday decided to award 1.36 million euros in emergency funding for Greece to purchase 90 fingerprinting devices.

The equipment was judged necessary for the proper identification and registration of migrants arriving at the Greek borders and the effective operation of the hotspots set up on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Leros, Kos and Samos.

“The 90 fingerprinting devices and workstations will be connected to the central EURODAC system to ensure sharing of information, and will be installed at border crossing points throughout the country, including on the Eastern Aegean islands,” the Commission’s announcement said.

The emergency funding comes from the Internal Security Fund (ISF), the Commission said. This emergency assistance is part of the Commission’s overall efforts to support concrete and effective actions in member states facing high migratory pressure.

For 2016, the Commission has foreseen emergency financial assistance, available to all member states, of 55.9 million euros under the ISF programme and 133 million euros under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

For Greece the national programme amounts to around 509 million euros for 2014-2020, of which 33 million euros has already been paid. The Commission’s award decision will be followed by the signature of the grant agreement with the Greek authorities, which should take place in the following days.