The European Commission yesterday put forward its proposals for the allocation of €1.7 billion in funds targeted at the refugee crisis.

Last week, EU leaders reached an agreement by qualified majority vote, under which member states have to share the burden of 120,000 refugees.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that Malta agreed to give its fair share.

For the last few months of this year, the Commission has allocated €801.3 million, of which €500 million will go towards the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis.

Another €100 million will go towards strengthening the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF).

This will help with emergency assistance for member states mostly affected by the crisis.

The Commission also allocated €1.3 million to Frontex, the European Asylum Support Office and Europol, while €200 million will provide immediate resources to the UNHCR, the World Food Programme and other organisations offering humanitarian aid and civil protection.

For next year, the European Commission will propose the allocation of €900 million.

This will be split into €600 million for AMIF, ISF, Frontex, EASO and Europol.

The remaining €300 million would provide humanitarian aid to refugees in the countries neighbouring Syria and other third world countries.