More than 2,000 refugees have been trapped in Northern Greece after FYROM authorities closed the boarders and allow only refugees from Syria, Afhanistan and Iraq to cross Skopje. Holders of passports from other countries are not allowed to cross to FYROM and from there to head towards Central and North Europe as they are reportedly not recognized to be from the above mentioned war zones.
Athens News Agency reported Sunday morning of some 250 “eligible” people cross the border to FYROM per hour, a total of 3,000 in the last 24 hours. Some 2,000 were not allowed to leave Greece.
On Saturday, those not allowed to travel further staged a protest against the decision of FYROM authorities. The protesters chanted slogans demanding freedom of movement, saying they were “not going back.” Most of the protesters were from Morocco with some from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Congo.
The migrants have provisional shelter in a camp set near the border village of Idomeni in Greece.
Reports on social media claimed that some of the migrants launched a hunger strike.
Some refugees have been waiting in Idomeni for three days. A few asylum seekers have reportedly set up tents along the border and have been blocking the railway line between Greece and Macedonia in the same time span.
Apart from FYROM, also other countries like Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia had made a similar decision.
It is not very clear what will happen with these refugees with some international media describing them as migrants or asylum seekers as international media call them.
On Sunday the Red Cross has provided medical help and first aid with volunteer doctors and distributed donated food parcels.
Among the trapped refugees freezing in the cold of the Greek north are also babies, children and women.
Some of those who would not get permission to go, they did sit on the railway line, thus interrupted the railway connection Thessaloniki -Skopje. Among those there were women, children and even babies. Migrant protesters, women and babies and Greek police during the protest on Saturday.
Greece’s Deputy Interior Minister, responsible for Migration, Yiannis Mouzalas visited Idomeni on Saturday and said Athens is willing to give free rides to refugees who have been denied entry into Macedonia to go back to the Greek capital.
And then?
endlich mal ein Land das den Strom der Wirtschaftsflüchtlinge stoppt.
Warum schickt Griechenland diese Menschen nicht konsequent zurück?
Wenn nicht endlich der Strom gestoppt wird, werden es immer mehr die fordernd in Europa stehen. In einem Europa indem immer mehr Menschen um ihr tägliches Brot kämpfen, das kein Geld für die eigene in Armut lebende Bevölkerung hat, für Arbeitslose, Obdachlose, Menschen denen auf unserem Arbeitsmarkt keine Chance mehr gegeben wird usw. Wo bleiben die Arbeitsplätze für die vielen arbeitslosen jungen Menschen? Aber für die vielen Asylsuchenden dafür haben und geben wir viel Geld aus. Wer kümmert sich um die Armen in Griechenland? Wer hilft denen weiter?
Und denen in den anderen europäischen Ländern? Sind wir nicht in erster Linie den Menschen in Europa verpflichtet?
Frag mal, bitte die Tuerkei warum sie diese Menschen nicht zurueck nimmt.
“We” also have even more money available to keep on bombing the life out of their countries It begs the question, who is making money out of this….?
What would happen if we spend that money on building hospitals, schools, universities, training, etc so that these people could stay at home and look forward to a future created by peaceful friendship instead of a country ruined by military might in the name of someboy elses “national interest”. Remember one thing, “sow fear, and you will reap terrorism”.
This does of course not justify the autrocities of Paris, London, etc.But it goes a long way in explaining their “why”…