ATHENS – Five migrants and a Greek motorist were killed in a car crash on a motorway near the Greek-Turkish border on Saturday, according to authorities.
The car, carrying ten migrants, was traveling at high speeds on the wrong side of the road to dodge a police checkpoint when it collided with a four-wheel drive, killing the 46-year-old driver as well.
The remaining five migrants, whose nationalities were not immediately known, and the driver of their car were brought to the hospital after suffering injuries, according to the police.
Thousands of migrants have transited via Greece from Turkey in recent years, hoping to reach Western Europe.
With increased patrols in the Aegean Sea making it more difficult for migrants to reach Greek islands, many are taking their chances by crossing the River Evros, a natural mainland border, and being picked up by traffickers.
There have been a growing number of accidents comparable to Saturday’s.
Meanwhile, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have accused Greece of illegal pushbacks on asylum seekers who make it across the river, which Athens denies.
In an effort to stem the flow of migrants, conservative Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the EU two weeks ago to “seriously consider” offering financial assistance to help expand an anti-migrant steel fence along the Turkish border.
Athens has planned to extend a five-meter-high steel fence that runs along the river by 35 kilometers.
The fence is already 38 kilometers long, and Athens plans to extend it within a year, adding a total of 100 kilometers by 2026.
