The shielding of the Greek-Turkish border in Evros proceeds with the strengthening of the existing fence in Kastanies, the creation of a surveillance system with thermal cameras and the construction of a new fence in Feres.
At the same time the flows of migrants have decreased due to winter and COVID-19.
The construction procedures of the new fence at the Greek-Turkish border in Evros and the strengthening of the existing one in Kastanies are progressing rapidly.
The new fence will have a length of about 26km and its construction takes place in southern Evros in Feres, specifically in the areas of Petalo, Poros-Tsirosi and Mavrakanthos.
In this phase, as the former deputy mayor of Feron and current municipal councilor, Nikolaos Gotsis, told Sputnik Hellas, the cleaning of the area, the earthworks and the cementing at a depth of 5.5 meters have proceeded to a significant degree in order to erect a 5 meter fence.
“The construction of the new fence is going at an exceptional pace. Until now, the construction was not visible because the earthworks, the foundations, the siting, etc. had a lot of work, but now the fence started to look very good,” he said.
“For a week due to holidays the works stopped,but now the cement has been placed and the stakes have been placed,” he explained.
“If the weather lasts for a month, the result will be amazing, that is, what the people will see, in a length of 2.5-3 kilometers, the fence will be seen”, said Gotsis.
As Gotsis described, there are five drills that “make the cement injections, ie columns at a depth of 5.5 meters, and these columns support the external structure of the fence that will be another 5 meters above the ground”.
According to the municipal councilor, the flows of immigrants lately “have decreased considerably mainly due to winter.”
However, apart from the construction of the new fence, the works of strengthening the existing fence in northern Evros (Kastanies) are also in progress, as well as the construction of towers where the border surveillance system with thermal cameras will be installed.
“The installation of the thermal surveillance system is progressing very well and the pillars are already being erected with good weather,” the president of the Evros Border Guards, Valantis Gialamas, told Sputnik Hellas.
Gialamas also estimates that if the good weather continues until March, the new fence will be completed.
According to Gialamas, the flows of immigrants “are reduced, they have not stopped but nothing to do with those we had 1.5 months ago.”
“There are flows of migrants but they are very reduced and I think it is due to winter and the coronavirus,” concluded Gialamas.
Fani Harisi is a Thessaloniki-based correspondent for Sputnik Hellas.
