Migration and Borders

Internazionale takes a closer look at the situation on the Greek island of Lesbos and how migrants and volunteers are coping under the current conditions. The article describes how Lesbos is starting to resemble an open-air prison, with hardly any space, structures or adequate facilities to accommodate the amount of people arriving. According to the article, Ankara’s decision to open the borders and send migrants to Greece has only added to the congestion on the island. Moreover, activists and volunteers helping asylum seekers on Lesbos have said they would suspend their activities following an increased number of threats from anti-immigrant groups. also Lesbos is seeing more and more demonstrations of people trying to stop boats full of displaced people seeking shelter. The lack of support as well as the overcrowding of space have forced newly arrived migrants to sleep in the streets, thus risking their lives.

Tagesschau has reported ongoing disputes between Ankara and Athens about the Greek-Turkish border, following Turkey’s declaration that EU borders were open to migrants. The European Union has taken a stance of solidarity with Greece, even going as far as to confirm the need to protect external borders and accuse the Turkish government of using the issue for further political gain. The EU is asking for compliance with EU law from both the Turkish and Greek governments, although it has stated that it is unclear whether the border currently complies with international law. EU ministers failed to address human rights concerns occurring not only at the Turkish-Greek border but also at refuge camps on the Greek islands. The Council of Ministers is supposed to deal with the issue of redistribution of refugees in the future.

Rzeczpospolita writes about the situation at the Greek-Turkish border, focusing in this article on the measures announced by the EU to help Greece to protect its borders. Considering the increasing number of migrants trying to reach the EU, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced to support Greece €700 million. In addition, Frontex, the EU’s border agency, will deploy ‘Rapid Border Intervention Teams’ as well as an additional 100 guards, supported by coastal patrol vessels, helicopters, and cars. The article points out how the protection of its external border is one of the EU’s priorities. Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced that the Greek border controls have already stopped 24,000 migrants trying to enter the country via the sea and land borders. The article highlights the need for a solution that can prevent the situation from escalating any further, especially since the EU did not do well in managing the influx of migrants back in 2015.