FERES, Greece (AP) \u2014 Greece prevented around 260,000\u00a0migrants\u00a0from entering illegally in 2022 and arrested 1,500 traffickers, an official said Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citizens\u2019 Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos was speaking to ambassadors from other European Union countries plus Switzerland and the United Kingdom as he guided them to a still\u00a0expanding border wall\u00a0in the country\u2019s northeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Theodorikakos emphasized to the 28 envoys that Greece\u2019s border is also the EU\u2019s external border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe task (of protecting the border) needs the support … of European public opinion, the European Union itself and its constituent members individually,\u201d Theodorikakos said. \u201cIt is our steadfast position that member states of first reception cannot be (the migrants\u2019) only European destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere must be solidarity among member-states and a fair sharing of duties…close coordination is a must,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Greek minister\u2019s sentiments were echoed by Cypriot Ambassador Kyriakos Kenevezos, who spoke of the \u201cneed for understanding\u201d from countries that don\u2019t have external EU borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.K. Ambassador Matthew Lodge said that \u201cour priority is to protect the human life and dignity endangered by the criminal trafficking networks … even though we are no longer an EU member, we are closely cooperating,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece\u2019s five-meter (16-foot) steel wall facing neighboring Turkey to the east across the Evros River \u2014 called Meric in Turkey \u2014 currently extends more than 27 kilometers (17 miles) and, according to Greek authorities, helps cover another 10 kilometers (six miles). Greece is currently expanding the wall, adding a 35-kilometer (22-mile) stretch with the ultimate goal of extending it to cover most of the 192-kilometer (120-mile) border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greece has repeatedly accused Turkey of weaponizing the plight of migrants by encouraging them to cross the border to discomfit Greece and the rest of the EU \u2014 effectively cooperating with traffickers. Turkey accuses Greece of violent pushbacks that endanger the lives of migrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey, whom the Cypriot ambassador called \u201cthe elephant in the room\u201d in Saturday\u2019s meeting, also has its own migrants\u2019 problem \u2014 hosting about 5 million of them. EU leaders are worried that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could encourage a mass exodus to the EU, where most of the migrants and refugees want to end up, preferably at one of the more prosperous bloc members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The EU\u2019s border protection agency, Frontex, will add another 400 border guards in Greece \u2014 250 of them in February \u2014 to the existing 1,800-member force, Theodorikakos said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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