EU pledges €700m for migrant aid
ATHENS: European Union officials visited Greece to see for themselves the migrant tensions building on its frontier with Turkey and pledged millions of euros in aid while calling for order after sporadic violence over the weekend.
“Greek authorities are facing a very difficult task in containing the situation,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters during a press conference near the Kastanies crossing on Tuesday. “This border is not only a Greek border, but it is also a European border and I stand here today as a European at your side.”
She said Greece would be able to access up to 700 million euros (24.4 billion baht) to help manage the situation and that Frontex, the EU border protection force, was preparing to deploy a “Rapid Intervention Team”, comprising ships, helicopters and guards. Earlier, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took the EU delegation on a helicopter ride to survey the border.
Migrants and refugees began heading towards Greece on Saturday after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he’d no longer prevent them crossing into Europe — he says his government can’t handle the large numbers of Syrians fleeing civil war.
The sight of desperate people gathered at the frontier sent a shudder through the EU leadership, stirring memories of the migration crisis of 2015 that fuelled support for right-wing populists across the continent.
This time around though, the reality is very different, at least so far. Some people were bused down, others paid for their own journeys, and most of them aren’t Syrians at all, but nationals of several countries who’ve been struggling to carve out new lives in Turkey.
All have found Greek officials barring their path onward into the EU. About 26,500 people have been stopped from entering, according to the Greek authorities. Some are now stuck in the no-man’s land between the two borders. Others returned to the Turkish cities they came from once they
realised the Greek side was sealed. About 200 people have been arrested by the Greek police.
EU officials have widely interpreted Mr Erdogan’s move as a play to get support for his campaign in Idlib, the northern Syrian province where Turkish troops and rebel forces are fighting the army of President Bashar al-Assad.
Mr Assad has the backing of Russia and Iran and on Thursday handed Turkey its heaviest military losses in decades.