Brussels, 22/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - In January, over 2,800 migrants were intercepted at the Greek-Turkish land border in the Evros region, according to a Frontex press release. A significant decrease, Frontex says, in comparison with previous months, when detections stood at over 6,000 migrants on average in the summer. This can largely be explained by the winter weather conditions. The agency indicated that three migrants, one Palestinian, one African and one Asian lost their lives in January in attempting to get into Greece.
Frontex notes that in January alone 18 suspected facilitators were detained in that area. Last year, some 130 facilitators were arrested. Joint Operation Poseidon Land began in March 2011, taking over from the Rapid Border Intervention Teams patrolling the Evros region, the main entry point for illegal immigrants into the EU, and will continue throughout 2012.
Another mission, “Hermes”, is operating around the island of Lampedusa, where thousands of migrants arrived in the spring of 2011, following the Arab revolutions. According to figures provided by the Frontex agency, a similar fall in numbers of interceptions had been noted at the beginning of 2012, with 130 people intercepted, mainly from Tunisia and Somalia, as opposed to 5,000 during the same period last year. Frontex and also added that 165 “facilitators” were arrested by the Italian authorities between February 2011 and February this year. (SP/transl.fl)