A 3-kilometer floating barrier with a height of more than 1 meter is intended to prevent refugees and migrants from reaching the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos, which is already home to almost 20,000 people.

The project, widely ridiculed and attacked as unlikely and inhuman, was commissioned by the New Democracy government in early 2020 to keep the refugees out, although patrols from the Greek Coast Guard and the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, did not work on it Do that.

The Greek Ministry of Defense said the project was in its final stages, reported the Brussels Times, the floating fence about to be dropped off the northeastern part of Lesbos, without explaining how it would work with boats navigating around it.

The Greek government submitted bids for design, installation and maintenance costs for four years on January 29, estimated at 500,000 euros (560,250 US dollars). However, it was not specified who the builder was.

The project was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic despite objections from critics and human rights groups. “This plan raises worrying questions about the possibility of rescuers continuing to provide assistance to people trying to cross the sea dangerously,” said Amnesty International.

During COVID-19, the number of arrivals on islands near the Turkish coast, which allowed human traffickers to resend them during an essentially suspended swap deal in 2016 with the European Union, declined.

About 5.5 million refugees and migrants live in Turkey who fled war and conflict in their home countries, especially the civil war in Afghanistan and Syria, but also under the economic conditions in sub-Saharan Africa and in other countries.

They went to Turkey hoping to reach wealthy countries in the EU that closed their borders for them and waived promises to spread some of the congestion and let them go to Greece to seek asylum.

Only 350 people have arrived on Lesbos since April. In the notorious Moria internment camp, which the BBC called “the worst in the world”, almost 18,000 people were found in inhumane conditions.

Greece has approximately 100,000 refugees and migrants, including more than 33,000 asylum seekers in five camps in the Aegean Islands with a capacity of only 5,400 people and another 70,000 in other facilities on the mainland.

When the idea was announced, it immediately met with fire and criticism, with the European Union finding the idea cool and Germany not even talking about it.

Amnesty International and other human rights groups opposed the proposed program after the government announced that it would replace camps on the islands with detention centers to screen those entitled to asylum.

The island officials and residents were upset at the time, and the exhaustion of compassion made him worse after trying to deal with a crisis that was in its fifth year. The government said it would bring 20,000 to the mainland.

At the time, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis said it was “a positive measure that will help monitor areas near the Turkish coast” and the barrier “sends the message that we are not free for all and that we are there are.” take all necessary measures to protect the borders. “

Rights groups said it will increase the risk for refugees and migrants trying to reach Greek islands using rickety dinghies and rubber dinghies, many of which have overturned or overturned since 2016 and dozens of people drown.

The barrier is made and has lights to make it visible at night, officials said. “The invitation to floating barriers is a step in the right direction … We shall see what the result is and what effect it will have as a deterrent in practice,” Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos told SKAI Radio.

“It will be a natural barrier. If it works like the one in Evros, I think it can be effective, ”he said, referring to a cement and barbed wire fence that Greece had erected along its northern border with Turkey in 2012 to keep migrants and refugees out, which is not the case is did not work.

The major opposition SYRIZA denounced the floating barrier plan as “a disgrace and insult to humanity”. Other reports say it is only 19 inches above water or is visible in rough seas with sunk boats.

A SYRIZA statement said the barrier was “disgusting”, the barrier “insults humanity … and violates European and international rules,” the party said, calling the proposal absurd, unenforceable and dangerous. “Even a child knows that you can’t have a wall in the sea.”

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