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Τετάρτη 15 Φεβρουαρίου 2012

[EN] ALDE GROUP: BUILDING A FENCE IS NOT A PANACEA TO BORDER SECURITY ISSUES


"History has proven time and again that long-term security cannot be ensured by the construction of walls and fences," said Guy Verhofstadt ALDE group Leader, questioning a Greek plan to construct a 12.6 km long wall in the Evros border region with Turkey to keep out illegal immigrants.
"The European Union external border agency can and should do more to assist Member States with responsibility for policing the Union's external borders but the system is dependent on an efficient and functioning asylum and immigration system. Greece's inability and delays in developing such a system, for which she has received support from the EU, is the real weak link in the chain and is undermining the whole of the Schengen area as well as worsening the humanitarian situation in detention centres on Greece's border with Turkey", said ALDE coordinator in the Civil Liberties committee Renate Weber (PNL, Romania).
"Instead of just building barriers, Greece should first and foremost adopt a functional asylum system that can process requests efficiently and, through the EU, agree mechanisms with Turkey to better control migrant flows. Weak spots at the external borders can be reinforced more effectively using surveillance equipment and check points than constructing more man-made barriers."
The European Commission launched in June 2011 infringement proceedings against Greece for breaching common EU asylum rules.
 09/02/2012