Brussels to help guard Greece’s Turkish border

On the 24 October 2010 the Greek Government requested from FRONTEX (the EU Agency for the Management of the Operational Cooperation at the External Borders) the deployment of Rapid Border Intervention Teams, to assist Greece in controlling its external land border with Turkey.

In the recent past, the number of irregular migrants crossing the border had steadily augmented and the situation had become increasingly dramatic, particularly at the 12.5 Km stretch near the Greek town of Orestiada.

The Guardian, 26.10.10: Armed EU to keep out migrant flow (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/370531-armed-eu-keep-out-migrant-flow

Frontex: Press Release, 26.10.10: Frontex Executive Director signs decision to deploy RABITs http://www.frontex.europa.eu/assets/Media_centre/Press_releases/frontex_press_release_26-10-2010.rtf

Frontex: Press Release, 25.10.10: Frontex deploys Rapid Border Intervention Teams to Greece http://frontex.europa.eu/news/frontex-deploys-rapid-border-intervention-teams-to-greece-PWDQKZ

Deutsche Welle, 25.10.10: Greece asks EU for emergency border team to stem illegal immigration http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6145410,00.html

BBC News: 25.10.10: EU teams to patrol Greek border amid migrant surge http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11618094

EUObserver, 25.10.10: EU to deploy armed patrols at Greek-Turkish border http://euobserver.com/9/31116

EurActiv, 26.10.10: EU team sent to Greece to curb 'alarming' refugee flow http://www.euractiv.com/enlargement/eu-team-sent-greece-curb-alarming-refugee-flow-news-499111

BBC News, 2.11.10: EU border team arrives in Greece to tackle migrants http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11664354

European Commission: MEMO/10/516: Statement by Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner in charge of Home Affairs on the request of the Greek government to get assistance via Rapid Border Intervention Teams at the land border between Greece and Turkey. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/516&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

FRONTEX: Rabit 2010. Evaluation Report http://www.frontex.europa.eu/assets/Attachments_News/fer_rabit_2010_screen_v6.pdf

EUObserver, 30.10.10: EU sending 175 armed guards to Greek-Turkish border http://euobserver.com/9/31164

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