Heightened alert on Greek border with Turkey along Evros River amid reports of assembled irregular migrants

Authorities in the northeast border prefecture of Evros, both police and armed forces, are reportedly on heightened alert status this weekend due to indications that large groups of foreign nationals, including minors, are being assembled along the border with Turkey for the purpose of attempting to clandestinely enter Greece.

The heightened status comes as a group of roughly 150 would-be migrants were located late last week on Greek territory by authorities. Another 25 illegal migrants were arrested on Greek territory in roughly the same spot, the Vyssa township, on Saturday as was the previous group.

As with previous such incidents, smuggling networks operating in Turkey lead and abandon potential asylum seekers and irregular migrants along the river border, with the latter then contacting Greek authorities in order to be rescued and evacuated – but only to EU territory, and never back to Turkey.

Often, as was the case last week, pro-migrant NGOs also contact authorities, engage in social media campaigns and press briefings in order to pressure for entry into Greece.

Dozens of third country nationals, all believed to be from the Middle East, were also detected on a riverine islet on Turkish territory, across from the village of Marasia, on the Greek side.

The Evros River border between Greece and Turkey, in the Thrace province, served as the setting for an infamous instance of “fake news”, which played out last August.

Specifically, a group of 38 asylum seekers, Syrians and Palestinians, claimed to have been stranded on one such brush-covered islet for days and even weeks. The latter had issued rescue pleas on-and-off beginning in late July 2022, which were prominently picked up by several media outlets, extensively reproduced on social media and used as pressure against the Greek government by pro-migration/refugee NGOs to evacuate the group.

At one point, some of the would-be asylum seekers claimed a five-year-old girl had died from a scorpion bite and other hardships. However, when later pressed about the alleged death, a couple identified as the parents said they could not remember where her body was buried on the islet, nor could they produce any proof they had five and not four children, as listed on various documents, including a list of individuals, comprising the group, used to get ECHR ruling.