Greek plan for border fence attacked

Financial Times
January 4, 2011

A Greek plan to build a 12.5km fence at its border with Turkey to deter illegal immigrants and asylum seekers has been attacked by opposition parties and a group supporting migrants.

Athens announced its intention this week to erect a fence at Evros, the spot in its 200km border with Turkey where most immigrants cross over into Greece, an entry point for the European Union. It was unclear when work on the fence would start but political observers expect it to be completed this year.

Arrivals of illegal immigrants through the northern Greek border rose 369 per cent in the nine months to the end of September 2010 compared with the previous year, according to Frontex, the EU border agency.

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