Fences, Carrots, and Loads of Immigrants

The fence currently being constructed 

on the Greco-Turkish border

by Rikke Brammer Buk

Greece is in the hotspot at this summit. It is estimated that 90% of illegal immigrants entering the EU do so by crossing the border between Greece and Turkey.

Greece cannot contain, let alone administer, this massive flow and has come to the summit with the hope of convincing its fellow EU member states to help resolve this problem. One of the frustrations, expressed by Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, is that Turkey does not do anything on its part to prevent the illegal immigration across its borders. Thus it is proposed that the Commission should provide Turkey with an “EU-carrot”, in order to inspire Turkey to help securing EU’s external borders. This carrot does not entail membership, as Turkey probably realize by now, but even if the Turks are in the mood for carrots, Greece still has a larger burden than it can handle, having to deal with its already overflowing asylum camps. Germany, France, England, Sweden and the other states who have chosen a harsh and demanding tone when it comes to Greece, do take their fair share of people who have been granted asylum, but Greece is still left with the overwhelming portion of applicants.

Also, persistent warnings are coming from NGO's, that if Greece should find itself successful in securing its external borders, this would not change the amount of people who illegally try to enter the EU. It will only change their route and, as La Strada has pointed out, the harder it gets for the immigrants to enter the EU, the better business get for criminal involved in trafficking human beings.

At the moment, Greece is building a fence at the weakest land spot of its border, but according to La Strada this has just resulted in the flow of immigrants moving south of the fence. Due to Greece's EU-colleagues seemingly wanting Greece to show that it can stand up for itself, before being willing to lend a hand (whatever form this may take) in solidarity, the Greek fence-building exercise could very well be seen as such an attempt. Denmark is one of the states expecting something from the Greeks before being willing to show solidarity, and they do not seem overly impressed by the Greek fence.