He stressed that like any other country, Macedonia has the right and obligation to secure its border, while efficient management of the crisis requires from all countries within the transit route to cooperate and have efficient coordination.
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Hundreds of migrants have been protesting for several days at Macedonia’s southern border with Greece against Skopje’s decision only to allow them to transit the country if they come from war-torn states.
It highlighted the complicated separation between the worldwide community’s response to refugees fleeing war zones, and myriad others who, while classified as “migrants”, may also be seeking to escape hardship and persecution.
‘We are people too, ‘ said an Iranian man who gave his name as Ahmed. A few of the migrants sat on the railway line running between the two countries as they protested against the border closures.
The new measure follows rising concern in the wake of the Paris attacks over the potential risk posed by the number of people heading into Europe.
Macedonia will do whatever is needed to prevent unauthorized crossing of its borders, the country’s Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki has said.
Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees are allowed through but those deemed economic migrants – mainly people from Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh – are blocked.
Aid agencies have warned that those denied passage and the right to seek asylum risk being left in limbo without sufficient aid against the winter.
Many of those arriving in Idomeni are attempting to take the Balkans route to western Europe after reaching Greek islands on smugglers’ boats from Turkey. Most of the attackers, however, were citizens of France or Belgium. We just go for a better life.
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One man wrote “only freedom” on his chest, while others wrote “Iran” on their bodies, AFP reports.
German police say 180,000 asylum seekers have entered the country so far this month, pushing the year’s overall figure already well beyond the government’s estimate for the full year.
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Germany has welcomed more than 938,000 newcomers this year.
