Minister says new migrant push at Greek border an ‘organized plan’

Guards at Greece’s northeastern land border with Turkey prevented some 1,500 migrants from entering the country on Wednesday, the country’s minister for citizens’ protection said, describing the push for entry as an “organized plan.” 

“There obviously exists some kind of organized plan by Turkey; in most cases, [the migrants] are brought [to the border] in Turkish gendarmerie vehicles,” Takis Theodorikakos said in comments to Skai TV on Thursday.

“You can’t call that spontaneous or disorganized,” he said.

The minister added latest push was averted by a strong police and border guard presence as well as other increased security measures at the Greek border.

He added that the “threat” at the Evros border has not grown to the proportions seen in February and March 2020, though stressed that the authorities are “monitoring the situation closely.”