Evacuation of Greek border camp begins

Record ID: 102173

  • Title: Evacuation of Greek border camp begins
  • Date: 24th May 2016
  • Summary: IDOMENI, GREECE (MAY 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE AND POLICE VEHICLES AT ROADBLOCK HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS AT ROADBLOCK VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICER STOPPING RED CAR POLICE AT ROADBLOCK / GROUP OF MIGRANTS SITTING ON ROAD VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SITTING AT SIDE OF ROAD HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS GATHERING THEIR BELONGINGS MIGRANT WOMAN, BIRIVAN, FROM KOBANE, SYRIA, LEAVING ON FOOT AFTER POLICE BEGAN EVACUATION OF CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGRANT WOMAN, BIRIVAN, FROM KOBANE, SYRIA, SAYING WHY SHE DOESN'T WANT TO BOARD BUSES BOUND FOR GOVERNMENT CAMPS: "Go Thessaloniki... police no good, money, massa (food) no good. Germany. Germany, Serbia... Yunnan (Greece) no good." BIRIVAN AND HER FRIENDS WALKING AWAY VARIOUS OF POLICE VEHICLES AT ROADBLOCK VARIOUS OF FOUR BUSES FILLED WITH MIGRANTS LEAVING, DRIVING PAST ROADBLOCK POLICE HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD
  • Embargoed: 8th June 2016 07:41
  • Keywords: migrants Greece evacuation camp Idomeni
  • Location: IDOMENI, GREECE
  • City: IDOMENI, GREECE
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014J616BR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Greece on Tuesday (May 24) began to evacuate a makeshift camp on its northern border with Macedonia where thousands of migrants and refugees have been stranded in dire conditions for months.
    The sprawling camp in a field near the Greek town of Idomeni sprang up in February after border shutdowns across the Balkans left people stranded there. Most of them had been heading for Germany and other wealthier northern European countries.
    The migrants, mostly from conflict zones in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, had refused to move despite having to sleep in the open in difficult conditions and some had been tear-gassed by Macedonian police. They have largely ignored appeals by Greek authorities to move to organised camps set up around Greece.
    As police helicopters flew overhead, four buses filled with migrants were the first to leave for government camps.
    A police source said 50 riot police squads would be deployed to Idomeni for the gradual removal of the migrants starting from Tuesday evening.
    The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Monday (May 23) border closures in Europe to stop migrants were inhumane and government efforts to stem the flow had averted the crisis only temporarily.
    Border closures across the Balkans and a deal between Turkey and the European Union have sharply reduced the number of people crossing into Europe this year, after a million made the often perilous journey in 2015, most fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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