(Brussels) Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Croatia will receive an extra €305 million from the European Commission to increase the reception capacity for migrants, protect victims of human trafficking and strengthen border surveillance. In Greece, for example, the funding will serve to ensure that the UNHCR-run Emergency Support to Integration and Accommodation (ESTIA) programme can be continued (rental accommodation for 25,000 asylum seekers and refugees, monthly allowances for 70,000 persons); and also to support educational programmes in reception centres; the Greek Coast Guard will receive €33 million to support maritime awareness activities in the Aegean and help ensure safe disembarkation. In Italy, a pilot project for victims of human trafficking in the Piemonte region will receive €5.3 million, bringing to €950 million the funding that the Commission has allocated to Italy since the beginning of the migration crisis. The funding allocated to Cyprus will be used to step up its reception capacity, while in Croatia it will help strengthen border surveillance in compliance with EU rules. “The Commission is committed to continue supporting Member States under migratory pressure”, said Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos, to ensure that “new arrivals are accommodated adequately and have access to food and water, that the safety and security of the most vulnerable is guaranteed, and that border controls are strengthened where needed”.