A report by the increasingly influential Frontex, the European agency responsible for the management of operational cooperation of EU member-states’ external borders, refers to an “unprecedented” situation in terms of illegal migration in Greece’s land borders with Turkey.
According to a front-page article appearing in the Sunday edition of “Kathimerini”, which quotes the Frontex report, roughly 31,000 illegal immigrants, mostly Afghans and Algerians, were detected between January and September 2010 attempting to enter Greece from Turkey.
The number of illegal migrants, practically all from third world countries in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, could be much larger, the Frontex report is quoted as stating.
The report cites one of the greatest influxes of illegal immigrants in the Union’s history. They partly assume this assessment on the sea patrols Frontex began in the eastern Aegean, which supposedly forced migrant smugglers to use the land route.
Just as importantly, Turkey’s role as a transit country for illegal migrants is underlined, while noting that the massive scope of the problem makes it impossible for Greek authorities to deal with it alone.
(source: ana-mpa)
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