MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The so-called Poseidon Rapid Intervention operation is due to replace the Joint Operation Poseidon Sea with a higher number of officers, according to Frontex. The deployed personnel will assist the Greek authorities in identifying and fingerprinting arriving migrants, as well as providing interpreters and forged document experts.
"Poseidon Rapid Intervention aims to provide Greece with additional technical assistance aiming to strengthen its border surveillance, registration and identification capacity," Frontex said in a statement.
Over 1.55 million illegal border crossings have been detected by Frontex since the beginning of 2015. At least 800,000 of them arrived in Greece from Turkey via the Aegean Sea.
Greece requested assistance from Frontex to protect its borders in the Aegean Sea earlier in December. Frontex called on EU member states to contribute 775 border guards to the effort.
