The Citizen Protection Ministry has decided to hire 400 more border guards to patrol in Evros starting in February. Takis Theodorikakos, head of the ministry, made the announcement this past Friday, January 13th.
Greece, he said, “is not prepared to accept even one irregular migrant.” Theodorikakos also reprimanded Turkey for aiding illegal immigrants in 2022 to reach the Greek borders. “Stop exploiting migrants and…respect the Greek borders, which are also the borders of Europe” was his address to Turkiye.
New border guards to be hired and deployed to Evros, Greece
The upcoming increase in border police officers will be the second in three years, the last having occurred in 2020. At that time, the government employed another 400 new guards to protect the northeastern area of Evros.
It upgraded the ten-kilometer fence separating the two borders to twenty-six kilometers as well after a tidal wave of illegal migrants sought to cross from Turkey in February and March of that year.
The Greek government additionally worked with local fisherman to help patrol the canals, lagoons, and tributaries.
Theodorikakos speaks out on protecting Greece’s borders
Theodorikakos spoke out on Greece’s latest attempt to protect its borders as an antecedent of the future strengthening of measures to come.
According to the minister, more than 260,000 migrants tried to enter Greece illegally in 2022. They were stopped by the more than 1,800 border police officers still on active duty in Evros. They also caught over 1,400 individuals trafficking migrants.
The majority of new border guards, around 250, will assume their duties in February. The remaining 150 will join the mission in the months to follow.
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