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Swiss to welcome 1,500 refugees, release 70 mln francs in aid funds

Xinhua, September 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Swiss Federal Council announced on Friday that 1,500 refugees who have already been registered in Greece and Italy will be able to take refuge in Switzerland over the course of the next two years.

This number would form part of the confederation's intake of 3,000 refugees planned for the next three years, the Federal Council indicated.

The Swiss government furthermore revealed that it would commit 70 million Swiss francs (73 million U.S. dollars) to financing on-the-ground assistance in countries and regions ravaged by conflict and humanitarian crises such as Syria, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.

The Swiss government indicated that this measure would also serve to fund aid projects on transit routes taken by refugees in the Mediterranean region.

Figures show that Swiss financial aid for Syria, Libya, Jordan and Iraq amounts to 198 million francs since the beginning of the crisis in 2011.

The extra funds will be used to improve supply capacities in countries hosting refugee camps so that fewer refugees feel the need to undertake the often perilous journey to Europe. Enditem