Nearly 8 in 10 Greeks Support Government’s Border Control Policy

The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Chris Tomlinson

A total of 76 per cent of the Greek public support the tough border control policy enacted by the conservative Greek government, according to polling.

The poll, which was conducted by polling firm Pulse, found that just 18 per cent of the Greek public thought the measures currently being taken by the government to stop large numbers of migrants entering the country was wrong.

The results also showed that 84 per cent of Greeks were very concerned about Turkey’s attitude toward the border situation, Greek newspaper Proto Thema reports.

Respondents were also asked about their concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus in Greece, which has around 45 confirmed cases so far. Just under half of those surveyed, 42 per cent, said they were concerned about a major outbreak occurring in Greece.

The ruling New Democracy (ND) party also remain the most popular in the country, with 39 per cent of the vote in the poll, ahead of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) headed by former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras, which scored 25 per cent.

The polls are likely to be welcome news for the Greek government which has been hit with several accusations by Turkish authorities in recent days, including allegations that border guards had fatally shot a Syrian migrant earlier in the week.

Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas slammed the Turkish allegations as “fake news”, saying: “Video showing fatality on Greek-Turkish border is fake news. We call upon everyone to use caution when reporting news that furthers Turkish propaganda.”

Since Turkey opened the gates to migrants last week, tensions at the land border between Greece and Turkey have been high. Migrants have attacked Greek border officials while attempting to force their way into the country.

On Friday, Mr Petsas presented a video on social media that alleged the Turkish government was arming migrants with tear gas and was releasing prisoners and sending them to the border area as well.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com

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