Greek authorities arrested a man driving a car with 11 migrants squeezed into his car this week. He was discovered at the land border with Turkey and has already been charged.
A man caught driving a car with 11 migrants squashed into his car was discovered at Grecce’s northeastern land border with Turkey on Monday (April 20).
In a police statement, reported by the Greek newspaper Ekathimerini, the man was stopped in the Rodopi area and was believed to be headed towards the main city nearby, Thessaloniki. A second man was arrested, also on Monday with three migrants in his car, in the Evros region.
Both vehicles, reported Ekathimerini, were confiscated.
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Arrivals in Greece
According to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 1,784 migrants have entered Greece via its land border with Turkey since the beginning of the year. The most common single nationality listed to enter Greece via both sea and land are nationals from Sudan, followed by Afghans, Egyptians, Yemenis, and Somalis.
There have been 6,688 arrivals in Greece since the start of the year at both land and sea borders. The data was last updated on April 19.
Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias talked to the press on Monday (April 20), during a visit to the Greek island of Crete, in the south of the territory. Crete, and its smaller neighbor Gavdos, have seen the majority of arrivals this year.
Most of those arriving on both islands set off from Libya and other ports in North Africa before arriving off the islands.
Kikilias, reported Greek City Times, declared that smugglers were "increasingly exploiting" migrants via the Libya-Crete corridor and that the Greek authorities are determined to crack down on this route.
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Upgrade of Coast Guard promised
"Modern smugglers, exploiting human lives in a multi-million dollar business, have established this route from Libya to Crete. The way we organize and respond to illegal migration is crucial. Crete is a top priority for us," said Kikilias to the press.
The minister promised upgrades to the Coast Guard to help in their crackdown. Kikilias said they would be adding both personnel and more equipment upgrades, in the form of boats, drones and surveillance technology to help patrol Greek waters.
A total of 500 additional Coast Guard officers are also due to be recruited, said the minister. High-speed patrol boats will also be introduced.
The Greek authorities have also promised heightened patrols at ports, airports and even on beaches as the tourist season gets under way in the country.
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