January 4, 2011

Greece plans Turkey border fence to tackle migration


Greece has announced plans to build a 12km (eight-mile) fence along part of its border with Turkey to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing.

Public Order Minister Christos Papoutsis said more than 100,000 people had entered Greece illegally last year and Athens had a duty to act.

Greece has long complained to Turkey about border security.

But the European Commission said such fences were "short-term measures" which did not tackle the root of the problem.

The proposed fence would cover a short section of the Greece-Turkey border in the Orestiada area of north-eastern Greece.

The area has become the main route into Greece for migrants from Africa and Asia with an average of 245 people crossing illegally every day in October 2010, according to Frontex, the EU's border agency.

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