Greece to build anti-immigrant border fence

KASTANIES, Greece - Greece announced on Monday that it will soon begin building a 6-mile-long fence topped with razor wire on its border with Turkey to deter illegal immigrants.

Thousands of illegal immigrants cross from Turkey into Greece at this point each year, often traveling from there to other parts of Europe.

Greek Public Order Minister Christos Papoutsis went to the border village of Kantanies on Monday to announce that work on the 13-foot-tall (4-meter-tall) fence will start next month and is expected to be finished by September at a cost of more than 3 million euro ($4 million). It will stretch from Kastanies to the Greek village of Nea Vyssa, near the northeastern town of Orestiada.

"This is an opportunity for us to send a clear message ... to all the EU that Greece is fully compliant with its border commitments," Papoutsis told reporters. "Traffickers should know that this route will be closed to them. Their life is about to get much harder."

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Greece is one of the 26 European nations in the Schengen Area, which has external border controls but not ones within the zone. Since Greece is on the southeastern edge of the area, and Turkey has not signed the Schengen Agreement, Greece is required to maintain its border controls.

During Papoutsis' visit to Kastanies, about 40 people protested nearby, saying the fence is a violation of human rights and should not be built at a time when Greece is suffering a deep financial crisis that has led to punishing austerity measures and high unemployment. About 200 riot police stood by, but no violence occurred during the demonstration.

Papoutsis said the fence will be coupled with a network of fixed night-vision cameras providing real-time footage to the new command center.

Most of Greece's 125-mile border with Turkey runs along a river known as Evros in Greece and Meric in Turkey. The new fence, which Turkey's government has not opposed, will block a short stretch of dry land between the two countries. Greece already is receiving emergency assistance at the Evros border from the EU border protection agency, Frontex.

On Monday, three men seen entering Greece at the point where the fence will be built told The Associated Press they are illegal immigrants who fled Syria's violence.

One of the men, who identified himself only as Said, 24, said the trio had been walking for seven days, and that he hopes to reach an uncle in Hungary, which also is a member of Europe's Schengen Area.

[UniqueAdditude]

It's not turks that are crossing the borders, they are all either africans or Afghans who happened to cross the border first in Turkey and thru Turkey they all are trying to cross over other parts of EU not poor Greece, who would give a damn about Greece anyway, Turkey will start toilet paper over to Greece just because they are pretty unable to afford some for their next coming gens

[hiloook]

It is not about the fence or where it should be placed. It's about who will pay for it. German tax payers again? No they wont buy it. Anyway it should be done, I mean the fence so that the debt owners won't escape away.

[Pattypye]

It is amazing that a little country like Greece with all its economic problems can build a fence that the most powerful country on earth can't seem to do.

[username751]

And the little baby Jesus said unto them, "This place needs more walls, just ask Dad."

[Christos fakatselis]

OK. With what money?

[joelwisch2]

Illegal aliens enter a country and far to often today, do not particularly respect the laws of the land. I suspect from the stories I have been reading that the people crossing from Turkey to Greece are carrying narcotics to sell when they get someplace they can collect social welfare. A pound of high grade herion is very easy to carry, and cuts 100 times or more. When he gets to the country of choice, he sells it, and if he scores big, gets enough money to live well for a couple of years. So.. the Greek Government cares what happens to its people, and they have done something about the problem.

Folks.. exactly the same thing happens on our border with our illegal aliens.

[antoniof123]

Oh my god you would think they would have learn by now not to listen to us but hey just distract from the real problems.