Back off: Europe tells migrants swamping Greece

The EU has warned asylum-seekers swamping Greece not to ‘test Europe’s unity’.

Asylum-seekers block a road outside port of Lesbos amid a migration surge from neighbouring Turkey. Picture: AFP

The EU has warned asylum­-seekers swamping Greece not to “test Europe’s unity”.

“We will hold the line and our unity will prevail,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said as thousands of ­desperate migrants tried to break through the Turkey/Greece ­bor­der.

Greek police fired teargas and stun grenades late on Wednesday to repulse a push by migrants to cross its land border from Turkey after Ankara said the frontier with Europe was open to whoever wanted to cross.

The clashes were near the village of Kastanies, along a fence that covers much of the land border not marked by the Evros river.

Turkey claimed Greek border guards had shot a migrant dead, but this was denied by Greek officials late on Wednesday. “I deny it categorically,” Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas told ­reporters when asked about Turkey’s allegation.

“Turkey fabricates and channels fake news against our country,” Mr Petsas said.

The EU has pledged €700m ($1.2bn) in financial help to Greece to help tackle the migration surge after Turkey made good on a threat last week to open its borders for those seeking to cross into Europe.

Many seeking to enter Greece, which has made clear its border is shut, were trying their luck by wading or rowing across the Evros River that runs along most of the land frontier.

Flying by helicopter over the border, Ms von der Leyen said the bloc would provide Greece with “all the support needed”.

The action by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan triggered days of violent clashes and scenes of chaos at the land border, while hundreds of others have headed to Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast in dinghies. Greece has struggled to push back the wave of migrants, with its armed forces now leading the effort.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis toured the troubled border with top EU officials, including Ms von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel.

Mr Mitsotakis said Turkey was breaching a 2016 agreement with the EU on migration and “has ­systematically encouraged and ­assisted tens of thousands of refugees­ and migrants to illegally enter Greece”.

“It has failed, and will continue to fail, should it continue to pursue this strategy,” he said. “This is no longer a refugee problem. This is a blatant attempt by Turkey to use desperate people to promote its geopolitical agenda.”

He also took a swipe at his EU neighbours. “Europe has not been up to the task of dealing with the migration crisis,” he said.

“I hope this crisis will serve as a wake-up call for everyone to ­assume their responsibilities.”

The government has said the situation is a direct threat to Greece’s national security, and has imposed emergency measures to carry out summary deportations and deny new arrivals the right to apply for asylum for one month.

“The Greek worries are our worries,” Ms von der Leyen said. “This is not only a Greek border but it is also a European border, and I stand here today as a ­European at your side.”

The UN refugee agency estim­ates there are 20,000 migrants massed across the 200km border.

At the Greek border crossing of Kastanies, soldiers were seen boarding migrants onto military vehicles. Other unmarked vans were also picking up migrants wandering on the streets.

Turkey’s announcement last Thursday that it would not stop those wishing to cross into Europe came amid a Russian-backed ­Syrian government offensive into Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, where Turkish troops are fighting. The offensive has killed dozens of Turkish troops and sent nearly a million Syrian civilians toward Turkey’s sealed border.

The announcement on ­Turkey’s opening of its borders up­ended­ Ankara’s previous policy of containing refugees under an agreement with the EU, in which the union would provide billions of euros in funding for the care of ­refugees within Turkey, which hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. The resulting movement of mig­rants appeared well organ­ised, with buses, minibuses and cars provided in Istanbul to ferry ­people to the border.

The vast majorit­y appeared to be Afghans, along with people from a wide variety­ of countries, including Iran, Iraq, Bangladesh and Syria.

The Greek army and navy held live-fire exercises across the eastern­ border areas for a second day on Tuesday to reinforce the message of deterrence.

Human rights groups said the Greek response, while justified, has been heavy-handed. “Showing humanity and defending rights is the best way to defend the EU borders­,” said Lotte Leicht, EU directo­r at Human Rights Watch.

At the border, Greek authorities said the main pressure had moved from the official crossing to points further south along the border. Authorities said they thwarted an attempt by about 1000 people to make their way across the Evros wetland area, at the southern end of the border.

Between Monday and Tuesday morning, Greek authorities said they had prevented 5183 people from entering, and arrested 45, mostly from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco and Bangladesh.

Migrants have also been trying to reach Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast. A young boy died on Monday after the dinghy he was in capsized off the coast of the island of Lesbos.

The Greek navy said it was sending a transport ship to Lesbos to temporarily house up to 400 ­migrants in port, following tension with local residents who have ­refused to allow new arrivals to reach the island’s already massively overcrowded migrant camp.

AFP, AP