Austria, Poland bolstering Greek border guard force

Austria and Poland have agreed to send dozens of police officers to help their colleagues in northern Greece hold the Greek-Turkish border against an influx of tens of thousands of refugees and migrants being spurred on by Ankara to push through the frontier into the European Union, Kathimerini understands.

Sources on Monday said that Poland has already agreed to send 100 police officers to Greece’s northeastern Evros border region and is prepared to send more if requested by Athens. A similar understanding has also been reached with the Austrian government, with 13 police special forces officers due to arrive in Evros in the coming days.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, meanwhile, is due to hold talks in Vienna on Tuesday with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz as he seeks to drum up support among European Union leaders. He was in Berlin on Monday, where he held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Cyprus has also sent assistance in the form of 22 police officers, while the EU’s border agency, Frontex, will be overseeing a force of 100 border guards from different members-states.

All of the foreign forces will be under the supervision of the Greek police (ELAS) and armed forces.