Greece will send more guards to its border with Turkey, hoping to strengthen security as it fears an influx of refugees and migrants following the crisis in Afghanistan.

Speaking in northern Greece on Sunday, Minister of Civil Protection Takis Theodorikakos revealed plans for an additional 250 border officers at the Evros river crossing, combined with an extension of the fence on the border with Turkey. 

“On these borders of our country with Turkey — the borders of the European Union with Turkey — we have completed 37 kilometers of the fence that has enhanced the security of our border,” Theodorikakos said. “A secure border is a precondition for Greeks everywhere to be safe.”

Another 800 extra border guard personnel will also be hired to staff airports and regions close to the border, officials said.

The number of border guards at the Turkish border has already increased from 1,000 to 1,500 in the last few months.

Greece has been on high alert since the recent Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, concerned that the ensuing crisis could create a new wave of migration towards Europe. 

In an effort to deter and stop asylum seekers from entering the country, Greece has toughened its migration policy and border security, extending a wall along its land border with Turkey and installing a high-tech surveillance network.

Featured image: Marianna Karakoulaki via Deutsche Welle (DW)