10 2. Evros in the context of Greek and European Migration Policy (2010-2011) 2.4 The European hypocrisy Responsibility for the conditions in the Evros region does not only lie with the Greek side. The European Union also dealt with this »out of control« situation at the Greek borders in terms of a security threat to be best handled with by the militarization of the border. The reaction was the same as previously in Spain and Italy: higher fences, border surveillance systems, Frontex presence – funded mainly by community subsidies and aimed to »protect« national and European territory and not human rights. Within this securitization process the migrant is portrayed as a state enemy and not seen as a person with a potential need for international protection anymore. The deterrence and discouragement measures are accompanied by an attempt to further externalise the border through readmissions agreements. The European Union on the one hand criticizes and condemns the Greek migration policy (ECHR rules, EU member states’ decision to suspend returns under Dublin II Regulation, speech acts of EU institutions representatives condemning Greece’s migration policy) and participates in it on the other (Frontex operation, Readmission Agreements, Dublin II Regulation). On both the national and the European level it seems as if the discussions on the developments of the Greek Asylum and Border Management Systems are always leading back to issues of the National Action Plan’s implementation The border between Greece and Turkey is getting highly militarised (time schedules and the expenditure for its funding) disassociating from member states the common responsibility for the protection of human rights and underestimating Greece’s inability to muster a coherent migration policy over the past 15 years and the fact that the country is struck by a deep financial and social crisis. In this context the stance of the EU providing »burden sharing« and »solidarity« to Greece in terms of migration management seems unrealistic and thus hypocritical. 2.5 Conclusion Obviously, Europe’s main concern is the creation of »walls« in order to hinder or to prevent the access to its territory. Physical walls like the fence, the moat and border controls in Evros but also invisible walls that are constituted by the lack of protection to those in need, rights denials, systematic detention, detention and living conditions violating human dignity, Readmission Agreements and the Dublin II Regulation. The effects of these heightening walls have their most tragic face in the many lost and dead at border. This is why we chose to speak about walls of shame in this report. Draft of the fence which is planned to be build