Greece to reinforce Turkiye border security to fight migrants crossing

Greece is deploying 250 border police officers and placing newly developed monitoring systems along its border with Turkiye to fight the crossing of illegal migrants, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.

Addressing the Greek Parliament, Greek Civil Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos stated that his country will place a new anti-migration system and deploy an additional 250 border police officers along the borders with Turkiye.

He also shared that his ministry is to expand the barbed wire along the borders, noting that the measures aim to halt the illegal entry of migrants to the European country.

The minister told Parliament that his ministry intercepted the entry of 250,000 migrants in 2022 and arrested 1,200 human traffickers.

In August 2021, Greece invested in a new anti-migration arsenal, including cameras, radar and a 40-kilometre (25-mile) steel fence over five metres high, to cover part of the 200-kilometre border region crossed by the Maritsa River.

READ: Turkiye prevents Syria migrants crossing into Greece

Irregular migrants pushed back – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]