As Europe struggles to cope with a surge in the number of migrants, the European Commission has approved 2.4 billion euros of aid over six years for member countries.

Italy is to receive the most aid, nearly 560 million euros, while 
Greece will receive 473 million.

Britain has already received 27 million euros, while France gets 20 million later this month.

“We are now able to disperse the funding for the French national programme. The UK has already received the first disbursement of their funding, and so both of these sums go to, amongst other things, dealing with the situation in Calais,” said EU Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud.

The northern French port of Calais has become one of the frontlines in Europe’s wider migrant crisis alongside the Italian and Greek islands.

More than 3,000 migrants and refugees are there. Many try to enter Britain illegally through the Eurotunnel to claim asylum. This situation has caused at least 10 migrant deaths since the beginning of