First EU-Greek border patrol conducted at Turkish crossing

Описание: (4 Nov 2010) SHOTLIST
++NIGHT VISION++
Nea Vyssa, 31 October 2010
1. Wide of group of nine immigrants crossing road after walking across border from Turkey
++NIGHT SHOTS++
Nea Vyssa, 31 October 2010
2. Immigrant waiting to be picked up by police at train station after crossing border
3. Immigrant talking to policeman in van
++DAY SHOTS++
Nea Vyssa, 31 October 2010
4. Wide of group of immigrants waiting at train station
5. Immigrants warming hands by small fire
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahmad, 27 years old who says he is from Ghazni province, Afghanistan:
"Yes I'm looking for a job, for free life because in Afghanistan there's not a life."
7. Wide of immigrants getting into police bus to be taken to detention centre for processing
8. Mid of young boy and man in bus
9. Bus leaving
Nea Vyssa, 4 November 2010
10. Wide of trees and fields on border area between Greece and Turkey
11. Cameraman and photographer with Greek soldier
12. Trees
13. Close of flashing lights on Frontex EU border control agency vehicle
14. Various of Frontex border police patrolling along road
15. Close of walkie-talkie
16. Greek policeman with walkie talkie radio
17. SOUNDBITE (French) Brigadier Benjamin Lecointe, French Frontier Police:
"Today is the first day of our activity and we are patrolling with a Greek officer in a vehicle."
18. Mid of Frontex officers conferring
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Michal Parzyszek, Frontex spokesperson:
"The most important is to control the flow, who is coming so that we know who precisely is crossing the border. Of course we do count to have an impact on the flow so that it maybe not stop, because we will never be able to stop the flow of migration and we don't want to stop the flows of migration we want to just apprehend illegal border crossers. That's the aim and of course assisting Greek authorities in that, this is like objective as such here."
20. Various of Frontex officer monitoring border area through binoculars
STORYLINE
EU border security officers conducted their first joint patrol on Thursday alongside Greek counterparts in a bid to stem the flow of illegal migrants crossing the Greek land border with Turkey.
With other entry means curtailed, the Turkey-Greece land border has become the main route for illegal immigrants into Europe.
Frontex officers from France, Romania and Portugal walked through fields along the border zone, scanning the wooded countryside with binoculars for persons attempting to slip into the EU.
The 175-strong force, with officers drawn from 26 countries, began arriving in the northeastern town of Orestiada this week for a two-month mission.
They started their first border patrols at dawn on Thursday.
Officers of different nationalities, accompanied by Greek police, are carrying out foot and vehicle patrols, while thermal imaging vehicles and an aircraft will boost surveillance capabilities.
Apart from patrols, the teams - which include interpreters, interviewers and experts in false documents - will also carry out screening operations for those migrants who do make it in. They come armed with thermal imaging vans, a helicopter and dozens of patrol cars and buses.
With most other smuggling routes into the EU blocked off due to increased sea patrols and agreements by countries such as Italy to send immigrants back, Greece has become the migrant world's gateway into the traditionally more wealthy bloc.
It is the farming village of Nea Vyssa, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) north of Orestiada, that has become the flashpoint in the country's immigration crisis.

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