Countering migration – building border fences: Athens is now putting pressure on the EU

“What you see here has been fully paid for by the Greek taxpayer. But it is time for the EU to think seriously about making European funds available for this kind of project. After all, we contribute to security in Europe,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a visit to the border region.

In recent years, Athens had built a steel fence 37.5 kilometers long and about five meters high along shallow parts of the border river Evros (Turkish: Meric). According to official figures, Greek border guards prevented some 260,000 people from crossing the border river last year. In 2026, a stretch of 100 kilometers must be secured by the border fence. The construction costs are estimated at around 100 million euros.

Dispute over EU funding
Human rights groups accuse the government in Athens of illegally pushing people back to Turkey (pushbacks) hoping for a better future in Europe. The EU also tolerates this in silence, they say. Athens repeatedly emphasizes the protection of its own borders, which are also EU borders, against illegal migration. At the last EU summit in early February, the heads of state and government of the European Union agreed on stronger protection of the external borders. However, demands from Austria and Greece for EU funds to build the fence were rejected.

The Greek head of government promises his voters – there are parliamentary elections on May 21 – but nevertheless: “I say to everyone who is against: with or without European money, the fence will come off.”