FRONTEX sees a resurgence of migrant flows in Evros once Turkey lifts measures

This is at least shown by an internal, confidential report from the Frontex Situation Center dated 5 May, which was made known to the German newspaper Die Welt. The report, compiled a few days after the serious incident in Evros, with Turkish fire on German Frontex officers under the heading "Turkey": "Restrictions due to Covid-19 have gradually been lifted in most provinces on the Aegean , but not yet in the provinces of Canakkale, Istanbul and Izmir. When the freedom of movement in these areas is restored, we can expect mass movements of immigrants in the direction of the Greek-Turkish border. "

In this context, the report states that another 262 police officers have been sent from other areas of Greece to Evros. It warns that "the planned deployment of another 400 police officers to the Evros area, which had been announced by the Greek authorities since the beginning of 2020, has been postponed due to the coronavirus crisis."

In late February-early March, the report recalled, thousands of migrants "had besieged the Greek-Turkish border and tried to cross Europe's external borders, resulting in chaotic scenes unfolding" as the Turkish leadership tried, among other things, to pressure the EU to hasten the sending of billions of euros to migrants staying in Turkey, but with the outbreak of the epidemic, Turkish forces withdrew the migrants back into the country.