Greece will begin construction within days on a new section of a reinforced fence along the Evros frontier with Turkey in the extreme northeast province of Thrace, Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis said on Friday, as Athens presses ahead with efforts to tighten border security and curb irregular migration on its land border.
Speaking during an inspection of the barrier near Psathades settlement in the Didymoteicho region of northern Evros prefecture, Chrisochoidis said the next phase would close existing gaps in the fence, adding that work would continue until the entire land border along the Evros (Maritsa) River is secured.
While the river mostly separates Greece from the European portion of Turkey in the Thrace province, a “bulge” of land extends Turkish territory west of the river at the level of the city of Edirne.
The minister said irregular migrant arrivals through the region have fallen sharply, attributing the decline to both reduced migration pressure from Turkey and stepped-up border patrols. He also announced plans to strengthen border-guard units in the prefectures of Rodopi, Xanthi and Kavala, extending monitoring efforts deeper into northeastern Greece.
Chrisochoidis additionally said the fence helped mitigate the impact of severe flooding that struck the region earlier this year, functioning in some areas as a protective barrier that limited damage.
The Evros fence has remained a cornerstone of Greece’s migration policy since the 2020 border crisis, when thousands of third country nationals gathered along the Turkish side of the frontier after Turkish authorities signaled they would no longer prevent departures toward EU territory. Greek authorities accused Ankara of encouraging attempts to breach the border, a position that received backing from several European leaders who described Greece as protecting the European Union’s external frontiers.
Over the past year, the Mitsotakis government has continued expanding the barrier while upgrading surveillance technology and increasing patrols, arguing that tighter border controls have contributed to a sustained decline in irregular crossings in the Evros region.
