The situation is not aided by a tense relationship between Macedonia and Greece, rooted in a dispute over Macedonia’s name since it declared independence from socialist Yugoslavia in 1991.
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Bulgaria said today it was ready to dispatch its armed forces to secure its southwestern borders with Greece and Macedonia against any fresh influx of refugees.
The problem may worsen with the potential arrival of thousands who are being evacuated by boat from the Greek island of Kos to the mainland, after 21,000 people landed on its shores last week and caused chaos on the small holiday island.
“They were standing on our territory and defending the border“, he said.
Earlier on Friday, police fired tear gas and plastic bullets, after the migrants attempted to storm the border post. Some 800,000 refugees are expected in Germany this year alone, by far the most in the 28-nation European Union. “This is miserable”.
The attempts by the Macedonian police to contact their Greek colleagues and urge cooperation in this field were unsuccessful. From there they try to slip into Hungary, a member of the 28-nation European Union. “No camp. No shelter”. They wanted to kill us. “I want to continue my education in some other country, I don’t want to go back to Syria”, he said.
More than 41,000 migrants have been processed since mid-June.
“The violence used by the FYROM authorities against these harmless and vulnerable people is outrageous and should immediately stop” said Aurelie Ponthieu, MSF’s Humanitarian Advisor on Displacement.
“The situation was awful “.
The United Nations agency also said that after talks with the foreign minister of Macedonia, it was reassured that the border would not be closed again. “Balkan countries are severely threatened by the wave of people trying to reach central Europe”, De Maiziere said.
At least 1,327 migrants, majority Syrians, have expressed interest in applying for asylum over the past 24 hours, the Macedonian Interior Ministry said.
This week, some 3,000 migrants were stranded at the Gevgelija station.
Macedonian police say they can not handle the influx of people arriving in the area over the past few days. The rest come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and various African countries. Macedonia shut the border to crossings on Thursday. The migrants often wait until they are in large groups to cross safely.
Migrants hold signs as they wait at the border line of Macedonia and Greece, August 20, 2015, to enter into Macedonia near Gevgelija railway station. More will be allowed to cross later, he said.
The Macedonian Ministry of Interior has issued a statement saying that stun grenades had been used, but denies mistreatment. “And Slovakia as a Christian country can really help Christians from Syria to find a new home in Slovakia”.
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The vast majority head straight to the country’s northern border with Macedonia, where they cram onto trains and head north through Serbia and Hungary on their way to the more prosperous EU countries such Germany, the Netherlands and those in Scandinavia.
