….but, I thought the EU was broke?

I wish I had time to look more thoroughly through all the documents about this plan, but in the meantime here is the news from European Parliament News:

The EU takes in only 4,500 out of the 200,000 refugees that need resettling in the world each year, but aims to do more by setting up a joint resettlement programme under the European Refugee Fund. The new 2013 programme will encourage member states to get involved by providing them with a fixed amount of money for each person resettled. MEPs will debate the initiative in plenary on Wednesday and vote on it on Thursday. The civil liberties committee recommends approving it.

To be paid by the head, but two countries won’t participate:

If the Parliament endorses the programme, member states will have until 1 May 2012 to send the European Commission an estimate of the number of people they will resettle next year. Member states that receive funding from the European Refugee Fund for the first time will receive €6,000 for every person resettled. Those that have used the fund only once get €5,000 and all others €4,000 per person.  Ireland and Denmark will not participate in the joint resettlement programme for 2013.   [I wonder why—not a good experience with refugees so far?—ed]

Only certain groups will be welcome:

The EP and the Council have agreed on a list of vulnerable groups and the regions they can come from that are eligible for taking part in the programme.

Follow this link to the document to be voted on today for the resettlement priorities:

“ANNEX
List of the specific common Union resettlement priorities for 2013
(1) Congolese refugees in the Great Lakes Region (Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia);
(2) Refugees from Iraq in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan;
(3) Afghan refugees in Turkey, Pakistan, Iran;
(4) Somali refugees in Ethiopia;
(5) Burmese refugees in Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand;
(6) Eritrean refugees in Eastern Sudan.”