Macedonia Lets in 250 Migrants, Thousands Still Stranded: Greece

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پنجشنبه 13 حوت 1394 ساعت 10:04 نوشته شده توسط AFP

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Macedonia on Wednesday allowed around 250 migrants to cross its border with Greece, as 10,000 more were left waiting in miserable conditions, Greek officials and AFP reporters at the scene said.

Around 170 people were allowed to pass oveight and additional small groups were accepted during the day.

It was the first group of Syrians and Iraqis permitted to continue their jouey to Europe since dawn on Monday, when another 300 were let through before the frontier was closed.

With anger mounting, hundreds on Monday tried to break through the border fence but were blocked by Macedonian police who fired tear gas at them, prompting a disapproving response from the EU.

Since then, Skopje has deployed additional police and troops to the border as a "protective" measure, officials said.

At the Greek border crossing of Idomeni, local officials said there were 7,000 people in two camps operated by aid groups, with another 3,000 camping in the surrounding fields.

"We know (the border) is closed, but what will happen? There isn't any other way. We must go here and wait," said Mouiiaed Saker, a 37-year-old Syrian fireman.

"We want to arrive. We are very tired. That's enough. I say to all, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia or Austria, it's enough. We are tired. We want to arrive, please we want to arrive," he said.

Aid groups have reported a shortage of food and tents, waing that the wet weather is taking its toll on the migrants, including children.

Macedonia also reported that its reception centre at the border with Serbia was nearing capacity with nearly 1,000 people there waiting to cross.

More than half of them are Afghans who have found their path to other European countries blocked.

"Some 597 are from Afghanistan and are still waiting for a solution to be found as they have been here 12 days," said Goran Stojanovski, coordinator of the Tabanovce centre.

Meanwhile the European Union on Wednesday unveiled a 700-million-euro emergency aid plan, over three years, for Greece and other states hit by the migrant crisis.

Greece has asked for around 480 million euros ($520 million USD) to help shelter 100,000 migrants as Europe faces its biggest wave of refugees since World War II in a crisis that has sown deep discord and threatened the bloc's solidarity.

After meeting EU President Donald Tusk in Skopje, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov said he did not want the migrant burden to fall to Greece alone, but waed his country would not pick up the bill for "unilateral solutions".

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