Τρίτη 8 Μαρτίου 2016

Baltic: Towering fences on migratory flows

Baltic: Towering fences on migratory flows



Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania tighten controls and raise fences in their eastern borders, and worried that the Baltic will become the new entry point for refugees in Europe, because the runway of the Balkans 'narrows' increasingly.
The governments of the three countries fear that they will see thousands of refugees to pass through Russia and Belarus. This concern was intensified after about 6,000 asylum seekers passed last year from Russia to Finland and Norway.

Latvia and Estonia started building fences at their borders with Russia. In taking that decision, also played a role in the safety concerns of the Baltic countries after the annexation of Crimea from Russia and allegations that an officer of the Estonian security services abducted by the Russians on the border, in 2014.

Hundreds Lithuanian border guards, police officers and soldiers participating this week in an exercise to address an immigration crisis. As part of this exercise will be tested and whether it is effective identity checks on the northern border of Lithuania with Latvia.

"Until last year, neither Norway nor Finland had problems with entering immigrants from the border with Russia," said the commander of the border of Lithuania Renata Pozeli. "Migration flows in these border jumped in a week, as if someone waved a magic wand," he added.

The three countries believe that as the controls are enhanced for the migration of refugees from Greece in Europe will become more popular, the corridor passes from Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic.

Estonia installs monitoring devices, such as those existing in the Lithuanian border with Belarus, to address both the trafficking and irregular migration.

"It's sad that we need (a fence at the border)," said Eric Ogiars Kainins, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Latvia. "But considering the circumstances now in Europe, the refugee crisis may be necessary," he said.

Finland in January criticized Russia for allowing asylum seekers to cross the border, and their number in the border crossing Shala reached 20 per day. Of the 31,000 refugees accepted Norway, about 5,000 last year arrived in the country via Russia.

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