About three, 000 people stay on the Greek side of the border near the village of Idomeni, together with about 1,000 Iranians & north Africans whom Macedonia is just not letting in.
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Others were stuck in no-man’s land between Macedonia and Greece, where Macedonia closed off access to all migrants regardless of nationality until a deal could be reached with Greece on how to filter them.
The refugees are revolted by the information they had picked up from other compatriots who have passed through Tabanovce border crossing that sometimes several days pass before they are allowed to enter Serbia.
“This is going to be definitely a challenging situation”, said Melita Sunjic, United Nations refugee agency spokesman in Serbia.
Balkan countries have begun filtering the flow of migrants, granting passage to those fleeing conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan, but turning back thousands from Africa and Asia.
Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia are all now trying to stop so-called economic migrants from continuing towards Austria and Germany along with Syrians, Iraqi and Afghans, who have the best chance of receiving refugee status in the EU.
A new anti-migrant government in Poland, which took office this week, is also deeply unhappy about the previous government’s decision to accept 7,000 refugees as part of a European plan.
Four nations along Europe’s Balkan refugee corridor shut their borders Thursday to all except those from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. “That is why we have applied reciprocal measures toward the people Slovenia and Croatia have no room for”, Vulin said.
Also Friday, Macedonia’s prime minister spoke with his Hungarian counterpart, who said uncontrolled migration poses a “direct risk” to all European citizens and has already claimed lives in the continent.
A total of 6,000 refugees crossed into Macedonia from early Saturday through early Sunday, police say.
Turkey’s state-run news agency says authorities have recovered the body of a 4-year-girl who was among a group of 10 migrants reported missing after a boat sank on its way to Greece. About 1,300 migrants gathered in the Greek town Idomeni protested Saturda…
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“We’re extremely anxious about the latest developments and fear that people will be stranded without any assistance, shelter and food just as winter sets in”, said Stephane Moissaing, the Doctors Without Borders head in Serbia.
