Athens, 24 August 2022 (dpa/MIA) – The Greek authorities are to impose stricter measures to counter the rising number of migrants crossing its land border along the Maritsa (Evros) River with Turkey, state radio reported on Wednesday. A decision had been taken to extend a border fence along the north-eastern border along the entire length of the border at a meeting of the council for foreign and defence affairs on Tuesday evening, the reports said. The fence, which is currently 40 kilometres in length, will then be extended by 220 kilometres. The border patrol force is to be expanded and new electronic monitoring devices installed. Additional patrol boats and aircraft are also to be provided to the coastguard patrolling the eastern Aegean Sea along the sea border with Turkey. "In the month of August alone, which is not even over, 25,000 people have tried to enter across the Greek-Turkish border illegally," Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos told the Ant1 television broadcaster on Wednesday. Human rights organizations accuse the Greek government of supporting so-called "push-backs" of migrants along both its land and sea borders with Turkey. They describe the policy as illegal under international law, as the migrants have no opportunity to apply for asylum. For its part, Athens accuses Ankara of promoting a "push-forward" policy, charging that migrants arriving in Greece claim that they were forced across the border by Turkish security personnel.