No Unauthorized Border Crossing Allowed
Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYU) Prof. Dr. Orhan Deniz has revealed that the construction of a modular wall and smart towers has successfully reduced the number of illegal crossings and forced migrant smugglers to redirect their activities to areas where the wall has not been built.
Since 2017, efforts to prevent illegal crossings have been underway in the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı and Yüksekova district of Hakkari. The construction of a 96-kilometer wall patrol road along the borders of Çaldıran and Özalp districts has been completed as part of the project, covering a 295-kilometer section of the Van-Iran border line, which is a popular crossing point for illegal immigrants. In areas where the wall has not been built, concrete barriers with a height of 5 meters and a width of 2.87 meters, reinforced with steel wires, have been erected. Additionally, ditches have been dug to further deter illegal crossings. Security measures, including the deployment of Gendarmerie, border units, and Special Operations police, have been put in place. These efforts have resulted in the prevention of 155,774 illegal immigrants from crossing the border over the past three years.
Prof. Dr. Orhan Deniz, the Director of the Population and Migration Research Center at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, emphasized the importance of these border control measures in preventing illegal crossings. He mentioned that the impact of the wall on migrant smuggling will become evident once the construction work is completed along the entire border line. However, he noted that migrants are now shifting towards areas that are not covered by the wall. He also mentioned that the construction of the wall in some regions, such as Baskale and Hakkari’s Yüksekova district, which are mountainous and have difficult topography, may be more challenging and time-consuming. In such areas, reinforcement of personnel will be necessary to ensure border security.
Prof. Dr. Deniz stressed that the walls alone are not sufficient in preventing illegal crossings. The combination of fences, patrol roads, and technological surveillance plays a crucial role. The presence of military units near the wall and rapid response capabilities are essential to address any potential threats from migrant smugglers approaching the border from Iran. The wall and other measures have significantly slowed down the movement of illegal migrants, requiring them to either turn back or risk getting caught. The collective impact of the wall and additional security measures has reduced the number of daily illegal crossings to below 100, a significant achievement considering the previous volume of crossings. Prof. Dr. Deniz commended the success of the security forces in this regard.
While the wall construction project has shown promising results, it is important to evaluate its overall effectiveness once the entire wall has been completed. The authorities will closely monitor the situation to assess its impact on curbing illegal crossings. Meanwhile, efforts will continue to reinforce security in areas where the wall has not been built, to prevent the shifting of illegal activities from one region to another.
