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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Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia weren’t allowing in the so-called economic migrants whose countries aren’t shattered by armed struggles and wars.
Most of the protesters were from Morocco, but a few were also from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Congo.
Most nations along Europe’s refugee corridor abruptly shut their borders Thursday to those not coming from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq, leaving thousands desperately seeking a better life in the continent stranded at Balkan border crossings.
Seven of the perpetrators died in the attacks, and one of them is thought to have been a Syrian who entered Europe via Greece with migrants.
Dozens of migrants pushed past a cordon of Greek riot police guarding the barrier marking the exit from Greek territory, only 20-30 metres from the heavily guarded entry point into Macedonia.
Greece’s railway company said 10 scheduled freight train departures for Macedonia have been canceled over the past day due to the protest.
“We need to protect our country, and that is why we have brought in reciprocal measures toward those that Croatia and Slovenia have no room for”.
The build-up of migrants at the border has been further worsened by deteriorating weather conditions in the area which has been hit by rain and wind over the past two days.
Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski visited Hungary on Friday to hold discussions about Budapest’s response to the refugee crisis – Hungary built a 3.5 meter wall to close off its southern border to refugees. They demanded to be let into Macedonia.
Hundreds of people packed a ballroom Sunday to remember a 23-year-old California college student who was among the 129 people killed in the Paris attacks.
Slovenia – the next country in the chain – also said it has been turning back economic migrants. “UNHCR does not think that there is any nation that can be excluded from global protection based on their nationalities, but each case individually should be screened and processed based on the merits of the case”.
In a sign of their desperation, many had launched hunger strikes.
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A few became overwhelmed during scuffles with police on Sunday as people in the crowd tried to push their way toward the border with Macedonia.
