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Macedonia builds fence on Greek border

Turkish state media say six children have drowned when boats carrying migrants to Greece sank in two incidents off the Turkish coast.

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Macedonia has begun construction of a fence on its southern border with Greece to stop the inflow of refugees.

The migrant, one of those banned from entering Macedonia, climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a power cable overhead.

Greek news agency Ana reported that Macedonian police fired stun grenades and tear gas in the migrants’ direction. About 5,000 migrants are reaching Europe each day along the so-called Balkan migrant route, stoking tensions among the countries along the migrant corridor including Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.

Alexandra Krause, an emergency coordinator at the UN Refugee Agency, told Al Jazeera from the Macedonian town of Gevgeliga on Saturday that the move was prompted after a group of mainly Iranians, Moroccans and Bangladeshis started throwing stones at the police.

A man named Barrawe from Somalia said that Europe was letting African refugees down in favour of those from the Middle East. “What we see is unfair because they let some people [through], they see only four years in war”.

They were among about 1,500 migrants who have been stranded by a policy of restricting entry only to those fleeing conflict.

The silent protest. Young men from Iran with their lips sewn together.

The restrictions have sparked protests among frustrated Iranian, Pakistani and Moroccan nationals, and on Thursday, around 200 people broke through a flimsy barrier into Macedonia.

The Dutch government has brokered a deal with municipal and provincial authorities to house thousands of migrants who have been granted refugee status. Doctors from the Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations said they treated 20 people for head injuries and breathing problems.

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Europe is facing the worst refugee crisis since World War II as more than 850,000 people have entered the European Union countries this year with almost half of them entering Greece.

This Portrait Of A Refugee Sewing His Mouth Shut To Be Heard Is The Most