“In 2016, we would need 5.5 million euros for resettlement costs, as the European money will only come afterwards,” Vice-Minister Algirdas Šešelgis said at a meeting of the parliamentary Social Affairs and Labour Committee on Wednesday.
According to calculations made by the ministry, the European Union may grant 6.21 million euros to Lithuania for 2016-2017 for resettlement of 1,035 refugees from Italy, Greece and Hungary, with further 420,000-700,000 euros granted for resettlement of 70 people from third countries.
In his words, supporting one asylum-seeker at the Refugee Reception Centre in Rukla currently costs 618-620 euros per month. The stay of resettled refugees will be more expensive, said the vice-minister.
“As a minimum, we should probably need 800 euros per month per person to be able to carry out the integration,” Šešelgis said.
Under European Commission schemes, Lithuania should receive 1,105 refugees over the coming two years from countries like Syria, Iraq and Eritrea, a proposal already approved by the government.
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