Greece built a wall on its border with Turkey to prevent a surge of illegal migration from Afghanistan. Reuters
Greece built a wall on its border with Turkey to prevent a surge of illegal migration from Afghanistan. Reuters
Greece built a wall on its border with Turkey to prevent a surge of illegal migration from Afghanistan. Reuters
Greece built a wall on its border with Turkey to prevent a surge of illegal migration from Afghanistan. Reuters

Greece gears up for Afghan refugee wave with new fence on Turkish border


Tim Stickings
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Greece has finished work on a 40-kilometre border fence with Turkey that Athens hopes will prevent a surge of illegal migration from Afghanistan.

A new surveillance system is also in place to catch potential asylum seekers fleeing the Taliban.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced out of their homes during fighting in Afghanistan, triggering fears of a new refugee crisis.

Those concerns are especially acute in Greece, which was on the frontline of the migrant wave in 2015 when more than a million people entered Europe.

Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said Greece would not accept being the “gateway for irregular flows into the EU” after the fall of Kabul.

He said Greece regarded Turkey, which already hosts millions of refugees, as a safe place for Afghans to live.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara “has no duty, responsibility or obligation to be Europe’s refugee warehouse”.

The new border wall, a cement and barbed-wire extension to an existing 13-kilometre fence, was completed in recent days. Construction began after a dispute with Turkey last year.

Civil Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis visited the Evros region where the wall was put up on Friday.

“We cannot wait, passively, for the possible impact,” he said. “Our borders will remain safe and inviolable.”

Already under pressure over a separate migration crisis in Belarus, Europe has increasingly turned to military might to defend its borders.

EU leaders want to help Afghanistan’s neighbours intercept migrants before they reach Europe. Austria called at a summit this week for millions of euros in funding to go to nearby countries.

In a call with Greece’s prime minister on Friday, Mr Erdogan said Ankara was in contact with Iran to discuss the issue of Afghan migrants.

Iran and Pakistan are home to many Afghan refugees, while Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have both increased security at their borders.

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

Updated: August 22, 2021, 5:16 AM