The Greek government intends to extend its wall along the border with Turkey by 80 kilometers. The plans were recently reaffirmed by Notis Mitarakis, the minister of migration.
The existing border wall is 40 kilometers long and stands aside the Maritsa river, which flows through most of the Greece-Turkey border. The majority of it was built recently, after endorsements by the European Union. Once complete the wall will stretch roughly 120 kilometers, covering over half of the border. Due to the unsuitable terrain such as marshlands, some areas of the border will remain without a wall.
Greece and the EU have stepped up efforts to thwart migration. Migrants trying to cross the Aegean have lost their lives due to actions taken by the Greek Navy and Coast Guard, which have sunk multiple boats carrying refugees. There are recordings of these incidents.
The construction of the wall comes as Turkey is inundated with refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Some recent estimates suggest the number is over 10 million. The high number of refugees have exacerbated issues with the economy. Citizens question the effectiveness of the wall built by Turkey along the Iran, Iraq and Syria borders. It stands at under 3 meters tall and videos have shown its ineffectiveness. In comparison, the walls constructed by Greece stand at a whopping 5 meters tall and are reinforced with steel.
