Greece: Wall to be built along Turkish border

Minister says country can't take in anymore illegal immigrants; says barrier will be similar to wall built on US-Mexico border.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Security barrier 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Security barrier 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Greece announced that it plans to build a wall along its border with Turkey to keep out illegal migrants, according to news reports Saturday
Citizen Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis said "Greek society has reached its limits in taking in illegal immigrants," Papoutsis was quoted by Athens News Agency as saying. "Greece can't take it anymore."
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Greece shares a 206-km border with Turkey which serves as a common entry point for illegal immigrants coming to the European Union from Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia.
The Greek minister was quoted as saying that "Cooperation with other EU states is going well. Now we plan to construct a fence to deal with illegal migration."
He said the border barrier would be similar to the one built by the US along its border with Mexico.
Reports said around 80 percent of illegal migrants in the EU arrive through Greece, where there are an estimated 300,000 illegal residents.