Europeans preparing to lock down borders with Greece

Published on 30 May 2012 at 13:49

"Greek crisis: EU is preparing to shut the borders", leads Austria’s Der Standard. The Vienna daily learned this Tuesday from a European Council source that several countries are drawing up plans to bring back border controls in the event of an emergency in Greece, without specifying details. The preparations are justified by the fear of illegal capital flight abroad and by rising crime. Above all, European states are worried about illegal migration, thanks to Greece’s role as a transit point for illegal migrants from Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean. The number of illegal immigrants currently living in Greece is estimated at one million. Recalling the legal framework of the Schengen Agreement, the Standard writes —

Unlike the much-debated exit from the eurozone [...], closing the borders with Greece wouldn’t be a problem for its partners.

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