Greece will soon build a three-meter-high barrier designed to block a 12.5 km-long strip of land on its border with Turkey in order to keep out thousands of migrants from entering the country.

"The construction will begin very shortly and will also be completely very shortly," Greek Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis has revealed, as cited by EUobserver.

Chrysochoidis has stated that the wall is a "temporary solution" that has "substantive and symbolic importance."

"The very essence of social peace is being questioned by this terrible humanitarian crisis. Greece is no longer ready to accept this time bomb in the foundation of its society," he declared, referring to increased migration pressure due to the Arab Spring.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has pointed out that the border fence between Greece and Turkey is not a EU priority but a national project.

Around 80 % of the illegal immigrants in the EU arrive via Greece. Large numbers then seek to reach Italy via ferry. There are currently an estimated 300,000 people living illegally in Greece.

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