Refugees clamber onto Macedonian trains / Macedonia disperses migrants with tear gas, stun grenades

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details 15.08.15
Publication Date 15/08/2015
Content Type

Deutsche Welle and other news sources reported in August 2015 of chaotic scenes at the train station of Gevgelija in Macedonia (FYROM) on the border with Greece, as migrants and refugees tried to reach a Member State of the European Union. Many were attempting to reach Hungary before the country finished building a fence to keep them out.

On the 20 August 2015 it was reported that the Macedonian government had declared a state of emergency in two border regions to cope with the growing numbers of migrants. On the 21 August 2015 there were reports that Macedonian special police forces had fired stun grenades to disperse the roughly 3,000 migrants who were making an attempt to get past police officers at the Greek-Macedonia border. Many of the migrants were said to come from Syria.

The UN urged both Greece and Macedonia to tackle a 'deteriorating situation'. The UN refugee agency expressed concern over the increasingly precarious situation at the border between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYRoM).

It called for Europe to act together in response to the growing crisis and help overstretched countries like Greece, FYRoM and Serbia.

Amnesty International said that 'The Macedonian authorities are responding as if they were dealing with rioters rather than refugees who have fled conflict and persecution'.

On the 22 August 2015 police in Macedonia reopened the country's southern frontier with Greece, enabling the thousands of people who had been stuck there to travel north through the country towards Serbia and onward to Hungary and thereby the EU and Schengen passport-free travel zone.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://dw.com/p/1GGAN
Related Links
ESO: Background information: Serbia receives assistance to stem illegal migrant flows http://www.europeansources.info/record/serbia-receives-assistance-to-stem-illegal-migrant-flows-migrant-crisis-eu-to-help-hungary-tackle-big-influx/
ESO: Background information: Hungary plans fence against refugees http://www.europeansources.info/record/hungary-plans-fence-against-refugees/
ESO: Background information: A European Response to Migration: Showing solidarity and sharing responsibility http://www.europeansources.info/record/speech-a-european-response-to-migration-showing-solidarity-and-sharing-responsibility/
Deutsche Welle, 19.08.15: Migrants seeking Serbia and EU get help from Macedonia http://dw.com/p/1GHqS
EurActiv, 20.08.15: Serbia says migrants in Macedonia should go to Bulgaria, Croatia http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/serbia-says-migrants-macedonia-should-go-bulgaria-croatia-316948
BBC News, 20.08.15: Macedonia: State of emergency declared over migrants http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34008867
Deutsche Welle, 20.08.15: Aid workers struggle with migrant chaos in Macedonia http://dw.com/p/1GJ0q
France24, 20.08.15: Macedonia declares state of emergency over refugee crisis http://www.france24.com/en/20150820-macedonia-migrants-state-emergency-refugee-crisis
Deutsche Welle, 21.08.15: Macedonia disperses migrants with tear gas, stun grenades http://dw.com/p/1GJKf
Deutsche Welle: Tag: Macedonia http://www.dw.com/search/en/macedonia/category/9097/
BBC News, 21.08.15: Macedonia migrants: Hundreds rush border forces http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34014353
UNHCR: News Stories, 21.08.15: UNHCR Voices Concern about Developments at Border of FYRoM and Greece http://www.unhcr.org/55d74aef6.html
UNHCR: Where We Work > Europe > South-Eastern Europe > The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e48d8f6.html
Amnesty International: Press Release, 21.08.15: Macedonia: thousands trapped and at risk of violence after border sealed http://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/macedonia-thousands-trapped-and-risk-violence-after-border-sealed
EurActiv, 21.08.15: Macedonian police use violence against migrants http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/macedonian-police-use-violence-against-migrants-316991
The Guardian, 21.08.15: Migrants try to charge Macedonian police lines at Greek border http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/21/crush-reported-as-migrants-try-to-cross-border-between-greece-and-macedonia
Politico, 23.08.15: Migrants rush the Macedonian border http://www.politico.eu/article/migration-refugees-news-macedonia-mediterranean/
Deutsche Welle, 23.08.15: Macedonia throws open border gates, refugees resume trek to EU http://dw.com/p/1GKD5

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