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Viewing cable 08THESSALONIKI68, GEORGIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS KILLED BY LANDMINIES ON

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08THESSALONIKI68 2008-10-09 12:53 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Thessaloniki
VZCZCXRO2176
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIK #0068 2831253
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091253Z OCT 08
FM AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0378
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0277
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0420
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