Border guards in Evros are on high alert amid concerns about an increase in migratory flows from Syria.
After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, the issue of repatriation of Syrian citizens has resurfaced. More than 6 million refugees (or 26% of the pre-war population) reside outside the Arab country, plus an estimated 7.4 million who are internally displaced.
However, Greek authorities have been on high alert, fearing a possible entry of jihadists into Greece from Turkey.
Border guard teams are intensifying checks and security measures at the Evros crossings in order to prevent the possible entry of Islamist extremists, News Bomb reported.
Europe freezes asylum applications for Syrians
Germany (which hosts around 1 million Syrians), the United Kingdom, Austria, and France have said they are temporarily suspending asylum decisions. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have made similar announcements.
The Ministry of Immigration and Asylum is evaluating the situation and will make a final decision regarding asylum procedures on Friday at a Council for National Security (KYSEA) meeting.
Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos will soon seek contact with the new Commissioner of the European Commission.
Church of Greece urges religious coexistence to continue
Greece’s Orthodox bishops have called for the “peaceful and constructive coexistence of Christians and Muslims” in the country to be maintained, saying that any “uprooting Orthodox Christianity from Syria” would be “sacrilegious in the eyes of history.”
In a statement issued after a meeting of the Church of Greece’s synod in Athens, the clerics said they are in “constant communication” with the Patriarchate of Antioch and are concerned “for its flock and the other Christians in the country.”
The statement continued, “The synod appeals to both the Greek government and the international community to take urgent initiatives to ensure peace in the region, protect the civilian population, prevent a humanitarian tragedy, and ensure the presence of the ancient Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the Christians in the region.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held a telephone conversation with Antioch Patriarch John X in light of recent developments in the war torn country that led to the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
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