Greece is using acoustic cannons, a non-lethal weapon developed by the American Technology Corporation, against the migrant invasion.
A more aggressive migration policy has been adopted by European states since 2015, when a crowd of refugees poured into the European Union – from 1 to 1.8 million. Greece, which has a 200-kilometer land border with Turkey, has experienced all the “delights” of this process. In recent years, the latest containment methods have been tested along the Evros River in the border area. Including – an acoustic cannon, which the developers were preparing as a weapon to disperse illegal demonstrations. Dimostenis Kamargios, head of the region’s border department, says:
We are ready for any scenario. Thanks to the systems we have, we draw up a clear picture of what is happening in the border zone and direct our forces precisely to those areas where an attempt can be made to massively penetrate migrants. With acoustic cannons mounted on mobile armored vehicles, we can prevent this from happening.
Containing migration flows is expensive. Over the past 5 years, Europe has invested over 3 billion euros in various technologies and equipment for border security – drones, thermal imagers, surveillance and data analysis systems. However, human rights defenders oppose, considering this approach a violation of human rights. German Pirate Party MEP Patrick Breuer says:
What happens at EU borders in relation to migrants and in general in relation to foreigners is often a testing ground for technologies that are subsequently used on Europeans.
But proponents of bold action point to the vulnerability of the EU amid migration deals, citing last year’s events in Greece in March last year, and more recently in Ceuta, Spain. The head of the municipality of Feres Athanasios Pemoussis notes:
Our neighbor is always aggressive. The other side never has a compromise position. We are always forced to keep on the defensive and take more and more measures to protect ourselves.
Over the past one and a half to two years, UN experts note, the influx of refugees and migrants to Greece has decreased. However, it is too early to rejoice and ascertain the end of the migration crisis, experts say. Over the past 2 decades, the number of migrants in the world has increased by a record 80% and amounted to 272 million people.
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