Brussels, 03/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Is this a first admission of failure for the Frontex Agency's Rabit (Rapid Border Intervention Teams)? On Saturday 1 January, Greece, through its immigration minister Christos Papoutsis, announced its intention to build a fence along its land border with Turkey, the main point of entry of illegal immigrants into Europe, in order to try to prevent further arrivals. Greek society has exceeded its limits in taking in illegal immigrants. Greece cannot take any more, Papoutsis said. The fence will be along a critical 12.5 kilometre stretch of the Evros River where, at the end of October 2010, Rabit teams (Ed: 125 officers from the 24 Schengen member states and associated third countries) were deployed at the request of Greece to tackle illegal immigration.
A less than loquacious European Commission said on Monday that, for the time being, it was no more than an announcement in the press, Greece having yet to give information on how the closure was to be carried out or on a timescale. Pointing out that it was for each member state to decide whether to build such fences, Commissioner Celia Malmström's spokesman nevertheless delivered an implicit warning to the Greek authorities against such a move, which, he said, could only be short-term and which could not resolve the “more structural” issue of illegal immigration. He also called on member states to abide by Community and international law on the fundamental rights of migrants and international protection for asylum seekers.
As for the effectiveness of Rabit, the Commission highlight the hitherto positive effect it had had, with a 43% fall in the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border between October and November 2010. Malmström's spokesman also pointed out that the Rabit operation had been extended until 2 March and refused to make any comment for the moment on the role that Rabit could provide if the Greek authorities moved swiftly to build their fence. (Cor./transl.rt)