Greece will gradually extend a fence along its border with Turkey and bolster surveillance mechanisms to counter the increasing number of migrants from crossing over, the Greek government said on Tuesday (August 23) following a meeting of the council for foreign affairs and defense.

 A government statement said the meeting – held between top immigration, security and military officials and chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis – discussed "the problem of increased pressure for illegal entry, both along the land border and along the sea border'' in the eastern Aegean Sea.

Greece has already built a 40-kilometer (25-mile) fence in the area of the Evros River, also known as Maritsa and Meriç, along the northeastern land border. The government plans to extend the fence by 220 kilometers.

Athens also said it would boost its border patrol force with additional boats and aircraft for its coast guard monitoring the eastern Aegean Sea. New electronic monitoring devices are also to be installed.

The announcement comes at a time Greek authorities are reporting rising numbers of migrants crossing its land border along the Evros River. 

"It was decided to gradually expand the fence along the whole length of the Evros,'' with an initial focus on potential problematic locations, Tuesday's statement said. "It was also decided to upgrade and strengthen surveillance systems.''

Migrants left stranded at Evros River

Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos told the Ant1 television broadcaster on Wednesday that over 25,000 people have tried to enter "illegally" across the Greek-Turkish border in August so far.

Greece has come under criticism in recent weeks over a group of migrants – mostly Syrians – who said they were stranded for days on an islet in the Evros River. One of the migrants trapped on the islet, a five-year-old Syrian girl, died allegedly after a scorpion sting while she and her family were stranded.

Greek officials maintain that the islet was on the Turkish side of the border. Greece has also repeatedly accused Ankara of sending thousands of migrants who live in Turkey into Greece, charging that migrants arriving in Greece claim that they were forced across the border by Turkish security guards.

Athens has also accused Ankara of encouraging illegal immigration by sea of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa who try to reach the Greek islands.

Human rights organizations, meanwhile, accuse Athens of supporting illegal pushbacks along both its land and sea borders with Turkey.

With AP and dpa