Border securityGreece to Deploy Floating Barrier to Stop Migrants in Aegean Sea
The Greek government is considering installing a “floating protection system” to stop migrant arrivals from the Turkish coast. The system would involve setting up nets or barriers to stop boats making the crossing. The barrier would be put in place north of the island of Lesbos, where migrants often make the crossing over a relatively short stretch of water. The plan is one more indication that the conservative government, under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has taken a tougher stand on immigration since coming to power last year.
The Greek government on Thursday said it was examining proposals for a floating barrier in the Aegean Sea which could be deployed in emergencies to stop migrants.
The systems being considered involve either barriers or nets to be used in emergencies, measuring some 1.7 miles in length.
The Telegraph reports that a request for bids from construction and maritime companies has been published by the Greek Defense Ministry. Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said the project, with an estimated cost of $550,000, was still in its early stages.
“We want to see if this works, and where and whether it can be implemented,” Panagiotopoulos told the public broadcaster Skai.
The plan described by the government envisions nets being deployed, or floating barriers similar to the barriers used to prevent the spread of oil spills. The specifications for the barrier are that it should be 1.1 meters in height, of which some 50 centimeters would be above the surface, and equipped with flashing lights.
The Telegraph notes that the barrier would be put in place north of the island of Lesbos, where migrants often make the crossing over a relatively short stretch of water.
The plan is one more indication that the conservative government, under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has taken a tougher stand on immigration since coming to power last year.
On Tuesday, the government said it wanted to employ 1,200 additional border police to help stem the flow of migrants from Turkey. Some 400 are to be sent to the land frontier, with the other 800 being sent to the Aegean islands.
The EU asylum office EASO said it would double its staff in Greece to speed up the processing of asylum requests. There are currently 500 EASO officers in the country.
The rate of arrivals has been increasing since last April after a steady decline during the previous three years. As a result, the rate of arrivals has overwhelmed the ability of EASO to process asylum requests, and the situation on the Aegean islands has worsened significantly, with tens of thousands of people stuck in and near woefully inadequate facilities which were built to house fewer than 6,000.
