EUROPE-MIGRANTS/SERBIA-PRESEVO ARRIVALS More than 5,000 migrants enter Serbia in a day

Record ID: 142725

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/SERBIA-PRESEVO ARRIVALS More than 5,000 migrants enter Serbia in a day
  • Date: 26th August 2015
  • Summary: PRESEVO, SERBIA (AUGUST 23, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS STANDING IN FRONT OF COLLECTIVE CENTRE MAN STANDING IN LINE HOLDING PAPERS IN HAND WOMAN CARRYING CHILD MAN HOLDING CHILD / CHILD CRYING VARIOUS OF POLICE LETTING MIGRANTS INTO COLLECTIVE CENTRE MAN HOLDING REGISTRATION PAPERS ENTERING IN GROUP INTO COLLECTIVE CENTRE MIGRANTS STANDING WOMAN HOLDING CHILD/ CHILD WAVING CHILDREN SMILING AND WAVING PRESEVO, SERBIA (AUGUST 23, 2015) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) MIGRANTS STANDING/ SITTING ON GROUND/MAN PLAYING WITH CHILD MAN HOLDING CHILD / MIGRANTS SITTING ON GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) HEAD OF COLLECTIVE CENTRE, SRDJAN RISTIC, SAYING: "Well for today, I can't tell you the exact number, but surely more than 2,000 people went through this centre. Since July 8, more than 40,000 people have gone through this centre." MIGRANTS WAITING TO ENTER REGISTRATION ROOM HAND HOLDING PLASTIC BAG WITH BREAD AND SOFT DRINK / CHILD HOLDING HAND (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) HEAD OF COLLECTIVE CENTRE, SRDJAN RISTIC, SAYING: "Because of this situation, we expect big pressures in future but we will see what will happen in the next couple of days." MIGRANTS INSIDE REGISTRATION CENTRE MAN TAKING REGISTRATION PAPERS / WOMAN HOLDING CHILD MIGRANTS STANDING/ WALKING INSIDE CENTRE
  • Embargoed: 10th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9XQCV9UHBUU6K26T3ER3T06YF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Thousands of migrants were arriving in the Serbian town of Presevo on Sunday (August 23) after Macedonia gave up attempts to halt their flow.
    Macedonia laid on buses and trains to carry them north after days of havoc caused by the closure of its southern frontier with Greece by security forces.
    The flow was unabated, as Greece ferried refugees from inundated islands to the mainland.
    A record 50,000 hit Greek land by boat from Turkey in July alone, bringing ripples of Middle Eastern conflicts to Europe's shores.
    Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic said more than 5,000 people had entered overnight as Macedonia cleared the backlog.
    Serbia appeared better equipped than Macedonia to handle the surge in numbers, having recently opened a reception centre in Presevo.
    Migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia can legalise at the centre their transit north through Serbia, before they continue their journey further north and cross by foot into Hungary and Europe's borderless Schengen zone.
    The head of the centre Srdjan Ristic said more than 2,000 had gone through the facility on Sunday.
    "Since 8th of July, more than 40,000 people have gone through this centre," Ristic said.
    The reception centre in Presevo was providing tents, food and medical assistance.
    Many had slept in the open on the Greek-Macedonian border with little access to food or water during the havoc caused by Macedonia's closure on Thursday of its southern border.
    Thousands more were expected to arrive in Serbia in the coming days as Greece ferried refugees from inundated islands to the mainland.
    "Because of this situation, we expect in the future big pressure but we will see what would happen in the next couple of days," Ristic said.
    A car ferry carrying 2,466 migrants from Greek islands, most of them fleeing Syria, docked in Athens on Sunday morning. It left again two hours later to pick up more. Almost all will head to Macedonia and then to Serbia.
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