EUROPE-MIGRANTS/MACEDONIA-EMERGENCY Macedonia declares emergency on borders over migrant crisis

Record ID: 143175

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/MACEDONIA-EMERGENCY Macedonia declares emergency on borders over migrant crisis
  • Date: 20th August 2015
  • Summary: IDOMENI, GREECE (AUGUST 20, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SLEEPING ON RAILWAY TRACKS MIGRANTS SITTING UNDER TREE MIGRANTS SITTING NEAR RAILWAY TRACKS
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA55BZIQ8V30MT1S8WKHPXT1RJO
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Macedonia declared a state of emergency on its southern and northern borders on Thursday (August 20) over a surge in migrants and refugees, saying it would involve the army in confronting a growing crisis, Interior Ministry spokesman, Ivo Kotevski said at a news conference.
    "The Macedonian government has decided to declare a state of emergency in crisis regions, on its southern and northern borders so according to laws, army can be deployed on the territory of Republic of Macedonia," Kotevski said.
    More than 1,000 migrants, mainly fleeing from war-ravaged Syria, are being kept in no-man's land between Macedonia and Greece, as police say they cannot handle the influx of people arriving in the area over the past few days. Police are letting people go to the nearby town of Gevgelija in small numbers.
    "We expect the involvement of the army will bring two desired effects - it will increase security among our citizens in the two regions and will allow a more comprehensive approach towards people expressing their interest in applying for asylum in Macedonia according to capacity and to international obligations signed by Macedonia, which we want to respect," Kotevski added.
    Gevgelija, a small Macedonian town known for its casinos, is becoming a new front-line, like the island of Kos in Greece or the French port of Calais, in the growing migrant and refugee crisis engulfing Europe.
    On Wednesday (August 19), Macedonian police had to use rubber sticks and anti riot police were called to control migrants line desperate to get the train to Serbia.
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