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Greek authorities have announced that they will expand the fence along the northeastern border with Turkey.

In addition, following a surge in illegal immigration, Greece also plans to increase its border patrol force with additional boats and aircraft for its coast guard in the eastern Aegean Sea and install new electronic monitoring equipment, SchenegenVisaInfo.com reports.

According to a statement issued by the government, the decision was made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with senior immigration, security, and military officials.

Greece has already built a 40-kilometer or 25-mile fence in the area of ​​the Evros River, also known as Maritsa and Meriç, along the northeastern land border. In addition, the Greek government plans to expand it by 220 kilometres.

Recently, commenting on this situation, the Minister of Protection of Greek Citizens, Takis Theodorikakos, said that during the month of August, about 25,000 irregular immigrants tried to enter illegally from the Greek-Turkish border.

“A large number now trying to come to Greece are mainly from Syria, and people are forced, as they are faced with dilemmas from the side of the Turkish authorities, it seems, either to return to Syria or to advance towards Greece,” the Minister noted.

Meanwhile, Minister Theodorikakos revealed that in the river Evros, the Greek government had employed several hundred border guards in coordination with the Greek army. At the same time, he said that 250 more border guards would be added during the winter.

In May, the Greek government added another 80 km to its 35 km concrete wall amid fears of increasing numbers of migrants arriving from the border with Turkey, following tensions between Athens and Ankara.

In this regard, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis noted that the expanded wall would prevent movement in regions that could otherwise be crossed on foot.

Greece and Turkey are members of NATO, and they have long had tense relations due to the issue of immigrants.

As a result, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis no longer exists for him, thus ruling out any dialogue between the two governments in this regard.

After the number of attempts at illegal entry had increased significantly, Minister Takis Theodorakakos revealed that he added that about 40,000 transfers had been blocked since the beginning of the year alone.

Moreover, Turkey has also repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of deporting asylum seekers, noting that it violates humanitarian values ​​and international law that endangers the lives of vulnerable migrants.