TURKEY-GREECE BORDER: Satellite Images Show Refugee Crisis

Thousands of refugees wait patiently in line at the Turkey border, as they await passage into Greece.

Satellite images captured early on 3 March, 2020 with WorldView-3 by European Space Imaging, show long lines of refugees on the road, numerous buses and trucks, as well as temporary housing facilities scattered adjacent to the road, extending well into the nearby forest.

Several buses on the road towards the border are clearly identifiable, correlating with reports that refugees are being bused to the area. In addition, numerous smaller vehicles with crowds of people surrounding can be seen. This could be indicative of aid support in the area. For security and safety, the border is being closely monitored by Frontex to mitigate any crises that could arise. “We are looking at other ways to help EU countries that border Turkey,” the agency said.

“Very High Resolution satellite imagery is both a cost-effective and time-efficient method of monitoring European borders as it allows identification of small objects in near real-time,” said Adrian Zevenbergen, Managing Director, European Space Imaging. “Country borders can run across long distances of differing terrain and people are small. Monitoring these areas frequently enables us to track refugee movements in order to ensure their safety.”

European Space Imaging will continue to monitor this situation and make images available as soon as possible.