The Greek Prime Minister’s Office announced - Saturday - that an iron barrier to curb immigration will be set up next April at the northeastern border of Greece with Turkey.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after his visit to the region to inspect the progress of the project, that construction is necessary "so that Greek citizens feel safe."
The Prime Minister’s Office announced - in a statement - that the government intends to employ 400 additional border guards for the Evros region in northeastern Greece, and will reinforce an existing border fence 10 km long.
A project to establish a 26-km border barrier in the Evros region was announced, after attempts to cross migrants increased in February and March, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the opening of the doors for migrants on Turkish territory to travel to Europe.
On the other hand, Greece’s plan to erect a 2.7-kilometer floating border barrier in the Aegean Sea seems unlikely, as the daily Kathimerini reported that the Coast Guard is not keen to use this plan to prevent migrant boats from arriving.
Human rights organizations have also criticized the floating barrier, believing that it could endanger the lives of asylum seekers who flock to inflatable boats, in attempts that often call for urgent rescue operations.