Evros fence to be extended by 80 kilometers

The government’s intention to extend the Evros border fence with Turkey by 80 kilometers was reiterated on Friday by Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis, who stressed that Greece cannot be an “open field.”

He further insisted that “Turkey is not a country at war” to defend his position that migrants arriving from Turkey can be returned there. 

A relevant request has already been submitted to the European Union for community funds to be used for this project. 

However, the European Commission does not appear willing to grant the request. 

An important inhibiting factor is the fact that if Greece were to receive funding for the extension of the existing fence, other member-states would also make similar requests, and they would want to build much longer structures for which the funds required would be many times greater. 

Nonetheless, the government has stressed that it is prepared to move ahead with the extension even without EU financial assistance, relying on national funds. 

The government’s intentions are also reflected in the remarks of Citizens’ Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos, who is in charge of the fence’s design and often mentions his aim to increase its length by “as many kilometers as we can.”

Representatives of the local government in the region say that the border on the Evros River extends to a total distance of 180 kilometers. However, they note that the extension of the fence is difficult or even impossible because of the river and its tributaries. 

The existing fence on the Evros is 38 kilometers long, of which 27 kilometers was built a year and a half ago. 

At that time the contractor had also reinforced the fence by adding a 5-meter high wire mesh – instead of the 3.5 meters previously used along a 12.5-kilometer stretch which runs along the land border from Kastanies to Nea Vyssa.