Greece blocks 35,000 migrants, plans to deport new arrivals

Greece has repelled nearly 35,000 migrants trying to cross onto its territory illegally since Turkey opened its border nearly a week ago, government sources said yesterday, as it prepares to deport hundreds of others who made it through.

Thousands of migrants have made for Greece since Ankara said on February 28 that it would let migrants cross its borders into Europe, reneging on a commitment to hold them on its territory under a 2016 deal with the EU.

Ankara has accused Greek forces of shooting dead four migrants, a charge rejected by Athens, which says Turkish forces are helping the migrants to cross the border.

Both sides used teargas at the Kastanies border post on Wednesday.

Turkey’s interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, visited Edirne province bordering Greece yesterday and announced the deployment of 1,000 special police to the area to halt the pushback of migrants towards its territory.

Soylu, who said on Wednesday that Turkey was preparing a case at the EU court of human rights over Greece’s treatment of migrants, accused Greek forces of wounding 164 people and pushing back nearly 5,000 into Turkey.

The situation at the Kastanies border crossing was calm yesterday.

Migrants — many from

Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as Syria and other Arab nations — huddled in tents and makeshift camps on the Turkish side.

Greek border guards rebuffed nearly 7,000 attempts in the last 24 hours alone, taking the total since February 29 to 34,778 and the number of arrests of those who got through to 244, the Greek government sources said.

Migrants who arrived in Greece illegally after March 1 will be transferred to the northern city of Serres and deported back to their own countries, Greek migration minister Notis Mitarachi said on Wednesday.

“Our aim is to return them to their countries,” he said.

Mitarachi said migrants who entered Greece before January 1 2019, and were living on its Aegean Islands, would be transferred to the mainland in the coming days.

Athens announced on March 1 that it would not accept any new asylum applications for a month after the build-up of migrants at the border.

This has triggered criticism from human rights agencies.

The Aegean Sea remained choppy yesterday and there were no further sightings of dinghies carrying migrants to Lesbos and other Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast.

Lesbos already hosts more than 20,000 asylum seekers, many living in filthy conditions in overcrowded camps.