More than a quarter of a million migrants were barred from entering Greece last year, and 1,500 people were detained on charges of smuggling illegal immigrants who want to enter the European Union.
Such figures were presented by Takis Theodorikakos, Minister for the Protection of Citizens, accompanying the ambassadors of the countries EU to the fence on the northeastern border of the country. He declared:
“This is a very important indication of solidarity in Europe, unity and determination to defend and secure the border between Greece and Turkey. It is also the border of the European Union with Turkey. This is a noticeable signal of the need to comply with international law. I think Turkey should pay attention to this.”
For quite a long time, Athens has been accusing Ankara of deliberately aggravating the situation on the borders, of encouraging illegal migration. Turkey, in response, declares the inhuman attitude of the Greek border guards towards people who are trying to get into the territory of the European Union.
Our publication previously reported that last year number of illegal crossings EU borders reached the highest level since 2016 – it grew by 64% compared to the previous year.
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