ATHENS: About 500,000 immigrants mostly from Syria are waiting in Turkey to enter Greece, according to information by the Greece’s Customs.
At a time when the citizen protection ministry decided to reduce by 30 percent the Customs guard forces in Xanthi, Orestiada and Drama, traffickers are standing by in Turkey waiting to smuggle into the country about half a million immigrants. In the three borders crossing points there are migrant detention centers with a capacity of 1880 people, currently housing 463 detainees. The number of guards was reduced since the number of detainees decreased.
A part of the border fence in the Evros region has fallen due to heavy rainfall and has not been restored yet. Customs authorities believe that there will be an influx of illegal immigrants from that point as soon as the floods subside. They say that the particular entry point might replace the “sea border” of the Aegean, from where an estimated 400-500 people enter Greece daily.
