Greece denies rumors of Germany returning ‘thousands’ of migrants upo

Earlier in the week, Germany’s federal government in Berlin introduced tighter controls along all its borders to address the issue of growing irregular entries into the country. 

This means that along Germany’s borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland additional security forces will monitor suspect movements of people.

Before introducing the new measures, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser highlighted that this change could significantly increase the number of people who are denied entry into Germany, if they have no right to be there.

She did not, however, give a specific estimate of how many individuals might be affected by the additional security measures.

Also read: Germany border controls: What this means for refugees and asylum seekers

Criticism and ridicule

The move is chiefly seen as a reaction to several deadly attacks perpetrated in Germany by Islamists, which has helped boost support for the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in recent state elections.

With another key state election scheduled this weekend in the state of Brandenburg, the government wants to show that it has the situation under control.

However, the move has drawn staunch criticism and even ridicule from other EU countries: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed a rather gleeful sense of satisfaction when hearing the news, saying that Germany was beginning to follow the example of his country; since the onset of the so-called “refugee crisis” of 2015 – 16, Hungary has effectively kept its borders tightly sealed to irregular entries, allowing only one person in per day.

Germany’s neighbors, Poland and Austria, have also been vocal about their opposition to the new measures introduced by the German government, which are set to last for at least six months but are subject to renewal.

Also read: Greece and Austria condemn Germany’s decision to bolster border security

Greek migration minister explains events on TV

Reactions have also come in from Greece, where the news from Germany led to rumors that the country on the Aegean Sea might have to put up migrants turned away at Germany’s borders.

Greek Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said that while Berlin is indeed keen to return more asylum seekers to Greece under the EU”s Dublin agreement, the current developments are unrelated.

“There never was and still is no issue of mass returns,” he told the Greek state broadcaster ERT.

The Dublin agreement stipulates that asylum seekers who reach the EU have to lodge their asylum claim in the country where they first arrive. However, many who reach frontline states like Greece and Italy travel further into other states.

If they are found out within a certain amount of time (usually six months), they can be sent back to where they first entered to have their claim processed there.

Greece has been at the forefront of migrant arrivals for years, having to accommodate and process asylum applications for thousands of people who over the last decade have arrived in Greece by taking irregular journeys from neighbouring Turkey. 

Most of the arrivals in the past have been war refugees from Syria.

Also read: Germany risks EU ‘chain reaction’ with new border checks

with AFP