EU's Frontex expects influx of migrants at Turkish border

European Union border agency Frontex expects another influx of migrants attempting to cross to the continent when Turkey lifts coronavirus-related restrictions, according to German media citing a Frontex internal report.

The Frontex document, dated 5 May, states that once restrictions are eased in the Turkish provinces of Canakkale, Istanbul and Izmir, massive movements of migrants towards the Greek-Turkish border could follow, newspaper Die Welt reported on Friday.

The report from the EU agency, which is tasked with controlling the Schengen area border, adds that an additional 262 police officers from other regions of Greece have been sent to the area surrounding the Eros river, a conflict hotspot.

At the end of February and early March, thousands of migrants approached the Turkish-Greek border and attempted to cross into Europe, after Ankara's decision to stop blocking them from reaching Greece and thereby entering the European Union.

The Turkish leadership had tried to persuade the EU to speed up the transfer of billions of euros in aid for accommodating migrants in Turkey.

Turkey hosts 4 million refugees, including 3.6 million Syrians, and had said it would no longer contain the refugee influx following a military escalation on the Turkish border with Syria that displaced 1 million people.    (dpa)