IMMIGRATION : EXECUTIVE OPPOSES BORDER FENCE BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY.

Following the announcement by Greece of the closure of certain land borders that it shares with Turkey to combat illegal immigration, the European Commission has criticised what it describes as "short-term and ineffective" measures.

"Experience shows that such fences and walls' measures are very short term, and really will not help to regulate and control migratory challenges in a structured manner," declared a spokesman for Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom. If the management of borders remains a national concern, he added, it would also represent a barrier between the EU and Turkey, which is not only a country seeking accession to the EU, but also one that is a potential partner in the fight against illegal immigration. "Good management of borders and the migratory flux should remain the subject of dialogue between migrants' countries of origin and countries of transit," the spokesman concluded.

The Commission is negotiating a readmissions agreement...