The fence in Evros will be extended by approximately 80 km, said the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Notis Mitarakis. The statement was made in an interview with the SKAI radio station.

“Greece cannot be open to all. Since Turkey is not a country at war, the people who come to our country, they do so because they want to have a better future in Europe. Humanism is very important, but the people who wish to come to the EU due to existing global inequalities are hundreds of millions. We are not talking about an enclosed Europe, but neither about a Europe in which smugglers decide who will come,” emphasized the Minister of Immigration and Asylum.

Also read: Evros | Fence almost completed – The Roborter system

Mr. Mitarakis pointed out that the islet of Evros is not Greek territory, as SYRIZA states, and that, according to the Army Geographical Service and the Land Registry, the mark left by the immigrants a few days ago was beyond Greek territory. As the Minister noted, the continuous patrols in the Aegean as well as the fence in Evros force traffickers to find other routes, exploiting the islets of Evros.

Notis Mitarakis also referred to the closure of the Eleonas structure:

“The government, in cooperation with the municipality of Athens, which owns the area, decided to shut down the Eleonas structure. Across Greece we currently have 52 thousand accommodation places of which only 18 thousand are used. There has been great decongestion in recent years.”

According to data mentioned by Mr. Mitarakis, 18,000 immigrants are currently being accommodated in the country’s structures, compared to 92,000 back in 2020. Of the 121 structures, 34 are now operating across the country.

In terms of immigration flows, he said last year we witnessed the lowest number of arrivals in a decade, with 8,500 immigrants. This year is expected to be the second lowest year of the decade in immigration flows with 7,000 immigrant arrivals so far.

Source: AMNA

Also read: Evros | Strengthening the borders with more border guards