GEORGIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS KILLED BY LANDMINIES ON

UNCLAS THESSALONIKI 000068 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREF PREL PGOV GR TU GG SUBJECT: GEORGIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS KILLED BY LANDMINIES ON GREEK-TURKISH BORDER ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Four illegal immigrants from Georgia lost their lives on September 26, after accidentally entering a minefield. The minefield was fenced-off and had warning signs in three languages. Police maintain that smugglers often suggest the crossing of the minefield to their charges, as "the shortest way." Since 1994, at least 90 people have been killed by mines in the same area. Although mine disposal is steadily progressing in Greece, more than 7,000 mines are still estimated by the authorities to be in place. The incident underscores the need for continued demining and improved cross-border cooperation against illegal immigration. END SUMMARY. SMUGGLERS MISLEAD ILLEGALS TO CROSS MINEFIELD ¶2. (SBU) On Friday September 26, four illegal immigrants from Georgia aged 20 to 25, attempted to enter Greece through the border with Turkey. They mistakenly entered a minefield in the town of North Vissa in the Prefecture of Evros and were killed while crossing it. Travel documents that were retrieved from two of the bodies, confirmed the victims were Georgian citizens. The authorities assume that the victims were transported to that point by Turkish smugglers, who then deserted them. Police told post that illegal immigrants are often misled by their smugglers into entering minefields, suggesting them as the shortest routes, while failing to inform the victims of the danger. Illegal immigrants who have been injured in similar incidents in the past have testified to being similarly misled. According to police, the minefield where the incident took place is obstructed by barbed-wire fencing over two meters high. There are also warning signs in Greek, Turkish and English. The signs also feature a skull and bones. Police speculate that smugglers convinced their clients to ignore the barbed wire fencing and signs. RISE IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LEADS TO MORE VICTIMS ¶3. (SBU) Police informed post that they have lately observed increased numbers of Georgians trying to enter Greece illegally, a fact that they attribute to the recent hostilities in the region of South Ossetia. In response, there has been an increase in the number of patrols carried out by border police, as well as the introduction of joint patrols with regular Greek police. Around 90 people - mostly illegal immigrants but also, military personnel- have lost their lives and another 150 have been injured from landmines in the last 15 years. DEMINING AHEAD OF 2014 DEADLINE, BUT MORE WORK AHEAD ¶4. (SBU) Greece is among the signatories of the Mine Ban Treaty of Ottawa (December 1997). Under the Treaty, Greece is obliged to remove all mines from its territory by March 1, 2014. Of the 58 minefields in the border region of Evros, 38 have been cleared so far by the Greek Army's Land Minefield Clearing Battalion, prompting the Greek representatives to the last (2007) annual conference of the member states of the Treaty, to predict completion of the project "well before the agreed deadline." Senior police and military officials familiar with the demining operations informed post after the September 26 incident that Greece remains well ahead of schedule to complete demining work before 2014. Some media have expressed skepticism that Greece will meet the deadline. The remaining minefields contain around 7,000 mines. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: Active landmines will remain a serious danger to illegal immigrants for at least the next two to three years along the Greek/Turkish border, accentuated by the expected growth of illegal immigration, including due to developments in the Caucasus. The recent casualties underscore the importance of continued demining and improved cross-border cooperation to combat illegal immigration. Post will continue to monitor demining progress and undertake additional initiatives aimed at promoting cooperation between law enforcement forces of Greece, Turkey and neighboring states. END COMMENT YEE