Exhausted migrants sit in no-man’s land demanding to be allowed to pass the Greek-Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015.
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The new measure coincides with rising concern over the security risk of the chaotic and often unchecked flow of humanity into Europe in the aftermath of the November 13 attacks in Paris by Islamist militants in which 130 people died.
It’s day five of a hunger strike staged by refugees and migrants stranded at Macedonia’s border with Greece.
The protests saw some begin a hunger strike, while others sewed their lips shut.
Today’s clashes saw some of the migrants throw stones at the police while shouting: “We want to go to Germany”.
“My family sold everything for me to come here”, said Muhammad Askito, 23, who is traveling with his wife, Ilham, 21, both from Morocco. “We are so sad for Paris”, he said.
They are among some 1,300 migrants, Nanou said, who are stuck in no man’s land between the two countries after Macedonia and several other western Balkan countries – including Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia – last week started limiting passage only to those fleeing conflict. I can not go back. And more than a thousand blocked a train line on the Greek-Macedonian border.
Macedonia’s prime minister, Nikola Gruevski, said his government would continue to accept individuals deemed worthy of asylum, but urged European allies find a way to quickly solve the crisis.
Only 148 refugees have been relocated from Italy and Greece to other European Union countries – Finland, Luxembourg and Sweden – under a plan for transferring 160,000, agreed by EU leaders in September, Edwards said.
The new policy has raised questions from rights groups who are advising that asylum should be granted according to merit and not on nationality alone, according to a report by the Independent.
“The Greeks aren’t telling us anything”, he said.
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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”. It expects up to 190,000 migrants to arrive this year and now has no more room at its reception centres.
