Minister in Evros for meeting on new border fence
Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis was in Evros on Tuesday, meeting with local authority officials and community representatives to discuss the government’s plans to build a new fence and bolster patrols on the Greek-Turkish border.
According to the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) one of the key topics of discussion was the compensation that would be granted to the owners of land that is slated for appropriation along the path of the new fence.
The border fence project has a total budget of 62.9 million euros and has been undertaken by a consortium of four construction companies. It will have a total length of 27 kilometers and eight observation towers.
The existing fence will also be extended upwards to 4.3 meters in height, instead of the current 3.5 meters, while the Citizens’ Protection Ministry will be hiring 800 additional guards to patrol the border.
Evros Deputy Regional Governor Dimitris Petrovic hailed the plan for the new hirings, saying it will give much-needed jobs to locals.
“The flight of young people and the demographic problem are the greatest threats and the opportunity being provided by the ministry is an opportunity for young people to stay,” he told the ANA-MPA.
