Turkey and Greece argue about how to deal with migrants. Athens speaks of an “organized plan by Turkey”, Ankara of “pushbacks”. The number of refugees at the border river Evros has meanwhile increased.
On Wednesday, the Greek border guards prevented around 1,500 migrants from entering Greece via the border river Evros from Turkey within a day.
This is what the Minister for Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos, told the Skai news channel on Thursday. “I want to make it clear: It is an organized plan by Turkey,” said Theodorikakos. In numerous cases, vehicles belonging to Turkish security forces brought people to the Turkish side of the border river, migrants reported after their arrival.
In a recent speech at the United Nations (UN), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again accused Athens of illegally pushing migrants back into Turkey (pushbacks). Greece calls Ankara’s tactic “pushforward”: Turkish authorities give the migrants the choice of going back to Syria or entering Greece illegally.
Greece wants to seal off northeastern border
Because of the increased number of migrants on the Evros, Greece wants to seal off the border in the north-east of the country almost completely. The existing 35 km border fence is currently being extended by 80 km. Bulgaria has also sealed off large parts of its border with Turkey with a fence.
Overall, Athens relies on rigorous border protection both on land and at sea. Nevertheless, according to the UN refugee agency, more than 10,000 people have managed to enter Greece since the beginning of the year and up to September 18th.
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
