Tweet
Greece planning border fence with Turkey
Page last updated at 08:03 GMT, Saturday, January 1, 2011 - 13:03 EST
Greece considers building a border fence with Turkey in order to cope with the waves of illegal immigrants.
This was announced by the Greek Citizens Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis on Friday. He has stated that the Greek society has exceeded its ability to absorb any more illegal immigrants in the country.
In fact, the high-profile government minister, a former EU Commissioner, said his ministry, in cooperation with the coast guard, is considering the construction of a new and more prominent fence along Greece's land border.
"I want to make something clear: Only those migrants who have an internationally recognized right to protection or a right to asylum will remain in the country, no one else. Everyone else should clearly understand this message. They will leave Greece, either via a voluntary repatriation or via an involuntary deportation," Papoutsis told the ANA-MPA, adding:
"We are absolutely determined on this issue. Additionally, we want to provide a decisive blow against the migrant smuggling rings that trade in people and their hopes for a better life. The Papandreou has a strong political volition (on this issue)," he said.
In the period of just six months up till the end of November, 33 000 illegal immigrants have been detected crossing the Greek-Turkish land border. Most are from Afghanistan, Algeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Iraq.
Papoutsis has said the 206-kilometre-long fence would be like the one erected by the United States along its frontier with Mexico.
Sources: ANA-MPA, Sofia News Agency
Link
Page last updated at 08:03 GMT, Saturday, January 1, 2011 - 13:03 EST
Greece considers building a border fence with Turkey in order to cope with the waves of illegal immigrants.
This was announced by the Greek Citizens Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis on Friday. He has stated that the Greek society has exceeded its ability to absorb any more illegal immigrants in the country.
In fact, the high-profile government minister, a former EU Commissioner, said his ministry, in cooperation with the coast guard, is considering the construction of a new and more prominent fence along Greece's land border.
"I want to make something clear: Only those migrants who have an internationally recognized right to protection or a right to asylum will remain in the country, no one else. Everyone else should clearly understand this message. They will leave Greece, either via a voluntary repatriation or via an involuntary deportation," Papoutsis told the ANA-MPA, adding:
"We are absolutely determined on this issue. Additionally, we want to provide a decisive blow against the migrant smuggling rings that trade in people and their hopes for a better life. The Papandreou has a strong political volition (on this issue)," he said.
In the period of just six months up till the end of November, 33 000 illegal immigrants have been detected crossing the Greek-Turkish land border. Most are from Afghanistan, Algeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Iraq.
Papoutsis has said the 206-kilometre-long fence would be like the one erected by the United States along its frontier with Mexico.
Sources: ANA-MPA, Sofia News Agency
Link
Comment