Europol forsees reduced checks at Turkish border

Checks at migrant crossing points at the border with Greece will be reduced or even scrapped by Turkish guards, according to Europol’s annual report on undocumented migration. 

The report said that Turkey’s policies are likely to continue with the goal of minimizing the number of migrants on its territory and that Europol anticipates Ankara will launch new efforts to push migrants to Greece.

The report makes extensive reference to the new methods adopted by migrant traffickers and the effect that the coronavirus pandemic has had on their actions, as well as the key role of Greece as a transit country.

However, it predicts that the gradual lifting of restrictions will lead to an increase in migrant movements in the near future.

Speaking to Kathimerini, Robert Crepinko, the head of Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Center (EMSC), said Greece is a country of high interest.