Greece treats migrant flows as national security issue as hundreds reach its islands

MYTILENE, Greece -- Greece has adopted a tougher stance and is treating the migration challenge as a national security issue, Interior Minister Takis Theodorikakos said on Monday.

The Greek official was referring to thousands of people gathered at the country's land border with Turkey in the past few days and hundreds still crossing the Aegean Sea on dinghies.

Greece does not face a refugee crisis, but new arrivals and thousands attempting to enter Europe are illegal migrants, the minister told local radio channel "Proto Thema" (Top Story).

Since Monday morning, for the next 24 hours Greek armed forces are conducting exercises using real ammunition across the land border and northeastern Aegean, the Greek Defense Ministry announced.

During the weekend, additional police and army units were deployed and Greece formally requested concrete assistance by other EU members to guard Europe's borders.

European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) announced on Monday that the executive director of Frontex has agreed to launch a rapid border intervention to assist Greece in dealing with the large numbers of migrants at its external borders, according to an e-mailed press statement.