Six killed in migrant car crash in Greece

At least six people were killed in a vehicle collision near the Greek-Turkish border on Saturday. A vehicle full of migrants traveling west from Greece's border with Turkey crashed while attempting to avoid a police checkpoint Saturday. The van, which was reportedly traveling at a high speed on the wrong side of the highway, collided head-on with an SUV.

The 46-year-old driver of the SUV, as well as six of the migrants aboard, died. At least six people survived the crash with critical injuries and were rushed to hospital. The driver of the migrant vehicle is understood to be among the survivors.

The nationalities and ages of the migrants involved in the crash were not immediately clear.

For many years, migrants have been trying to enter the EU by crossing the Evros River, which forms the border between Turkey and Greece | Photo: Ahmed Deeb/dpa/picture allianceFor many years, migrants have been trying to enter the EU by crossing the Evros River, which forms the border between Turkey and Greece | Photo: Ahmed Deeb/dpa/picture alliance

Relying on young people to move migrants

Smuggling gangs in the border region rely on underage drivers with little driving experience to pick up migrants who have crossed the Greek-Turkish borders and are hoping to reach the interior of the country or elsewhere in the EU. This is because minors receive lighter sentences if they are arrested. No information has been released so far regarding the age or identity of the driver.

The smuggling gangs that organize these dangerous journeys reportedly charge between EUR2,000 and EUR7,000 per person.

A sought-after route for irregular migrants

Thousands of migrants enter Greece from Turkey each year. That's despite a 2016 six-billion-euro landmark deal between the EU and Turkey attempting to stem the flow of migrants crossing into the bloc.

Authorities on both sides of the border have stepped up their operation in the Aegean Sea to limit the number of boat migrants heading to Greek islands like Lesbos, Samos, Kos or Chios. This monitoring has resulted in a growing number of irregular migrants attempting to enter Greece through its land border with Turkey, which for a long stretch is separated by the Evros River. Traffickers arrange to pick them up by boat once they've left Turkey.

However even on this route, there are dozens of drownings each year -- as well as reports of illegal pushbacks[3], which can become violent.

Evros river in Greece | Credit: DWEvros river in Greece | Credit: DW

In order to avoid further tragedies and to stem the flow of migrants into Greece, the government has decided to erect a steel wall along the Evros[5]. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on the EU to provide financial aid for the project, which Brussels has so far rejected. If realized, the wall will be at least five meters tall and run for 35 kilometers.

By 2026, Greece wants to have 100 kilometers of the land border to be fortified[6] by either the wall or fences.

with dpa, AFP

References

  1. ^ Fact check: Three myths that migrant smugglers tell (www.infomigrants.net)
  2. ^ Number of unaccompanied minors remains high in Greece (www.infomigrants.net)
  3. ^ illegal pushbacks (www.infomigrants.net)
  4. ^ Greek border authorities have stolen more than EUR2 million from migrants in five years (www.infomigrants.net)
  5. ^ erect a steel wall along the Evros (www.infomigrants.net)
  6. ^ land border to be fortified (www.infomigrants.net)
  7. ^ EU: 'Safe and legal routes ... save lives' (www.infomigrants.net)

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