140km. The Evros region, where Greece meets Turkey, and where the EU ends. The existing border structures have largely been created with EU funding, but this hasn’t yet extended to a physical barrier. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced that a 140km border wall will be built, whether the EU supports the construction of it or not.

400 In addition to the artificial barrier, 400 additional personnel will be deployed in the area, 250 of whom will start next month. Although the Minister of Citizen Protection Takis Theodorikakos, already claims that the border is “impenetrable, it is inaccessible”.

Tensions between Turkey and Greece have risen recently, with Theodorikako also addressing Turkey with the command to stop exploiting people and to respect the Greek border.

Migration policy is likely to be a strong point in the spring elections, which were announced this weekend. The election will be the first held under proportional representation. Turkey will also be holding elections in the middle of this year.

The racist treatment of people who do manage to arrive in Greece is continually evidenced. The sad news of a death in Ritsona camp of a resident who waited three hours for an ambulance to arrive is characteristic of how people are treated. As with other European Nations, the preferential treatment of people fleeing the war in Ukraine is evidence that regimes know how they should behave, but chose to ignore the plight of those who do not look like them. Greece’s migration minister, Notis Mitarach referred to Ukrainian refugees as “real refugees” and those from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan as “irregular migrants”.

The Greek regime also denies any part in illegal pushbacks but has boasted of “averting” 150,000 arrivals since 2022. The actions of Greece have not escaped the attention of the UN, UNHCR or the European Commission, yet no real action has been taken.

This article orgionally appeared in Are You Syrious?

Image: Markus Spiske on Unsplash