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  • Macedonia police use tear gas against migrants

    Macedonian police have fired tear gas to disperse thousands of migrants trying to enter from Greece.

    It comes a day after Macedonia declared a state of emergency in two border regions to cope with an influx of migrants, many from the Middle East.

    Large numbers spent the night stuck on Macedonia's southern frontier, and tried to charge police in the morning.

    The Balkan nation has become a major transit point for migrants trying to reach northern EU members.
    Witnesses said razor wire was rolled across the border, preventing people from entering Macedonia. There are reports of the border also having been closed last month.

    Some 44,000 people have reportedly travelled through the country in the past two months.
    At least five people were injured in the clashes at the border with Greece.

    An 18-year-old Syrian man told Reuters he was able to cross overnight into Macedonia, but others were caught and driven back.

    "I ran fast and escaped," he said. "They got my brother and most of the others and sent them back to Greece."

    In recent weeks there have been chaotic scenes at Gevgelija station, with migrants trying to clamber on board packed trains bound north.

    As well as Gevgelija, Macedonia declared a state of emergency in northern Kumanovo, where migrants attempt to travel on to Serbia, the next stop before entering Hungary, which is part of the EU.

    Greece itself has seen almost 160,000 people landing on its shores since January, the UN estimates, with 50,000 arriving in the past month alone.

    There were fears that by effectively shutting off its borders, Macedonia would create a backlog of migrants at its frontiers.

    Those trying to reach northern and western Europe come from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, but many arriving in Macedonia are escaping the conflict in Syria.

    Analysis - Guy De Launey, BBC News, Belgrade

    The message was spelt out in tear gas - migrants are no longer welcome in Macedonia. Police in the border town of Gevgelija took action after a crowd of around 3,000 charged a barbed wire fence.
    Migrants have been flowing through Macedonia all year. Many of them come from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan and they're hoping to reach European Union countries.

    Until now, the Macedonian authorities have taken a relaxed attitude - allowing migrants to travel through and out of the country. But, recently, numbers have increased - and Macedonia says it can't cope. The state of emergency means troops will try to stop migrants at the border.
    Dok, this is your neck of the woods. Can you give us a first hand account of what's going on and how the locals are feeling?

  • #2
    The situation with the migrants is going on for a while and had two phases, this is third phase now.

    First, these people were coming in smaller groups from Greece via illegal routes and were walking along the railroad (Thessaloniki-Skopje-Belgrade) by foot. The law was very rigid providing they should ask for asylum on the border and would be transported to the asylum seekers where they would stay forever. Since they were not interested to stay here and we have no capacity to shelter them by the numbers they were arriving, the police was turning a blind eye. This resulted in about 20 deaths where people were hit by trains (on several occassions). Anyone cought transporting them were facing charges for trafficking, so the only option was by foot.
    People organized and had several points along the railroad giving them water, dry food, medicines...
    Another group (that I'm ashamed to call them compatriots), were selling them bikes for 100-500 euros and bread for 10 euros. Near the border with Serbia in two villages many of them were allegedly held hostages in houses until they pay ransom. The police intervened and they said they were there by their own will.
    In Kumanovo (a city on the north) the mosque was transformed into a refugee camp. Activists (from all religions) were giving them first aid, water, food...

    The authorities realized this is not going to work since the numbers were increasing and we were the only spot on the migrants road where these people were walking. Greece and Serbia were allowing them to use public transportation. Two months ago we ammended the law allowing any migrant at any spot to apply for papers which in turn allowed them to stay up to 72h on our territory and decide if they were gonna apply for asylum. With these papers they could use public transport, mainly trains. So, after entrance people were registered and were given papers, then they were buying train tickets in Gevgelija to Tabanovce (Serbian border), crossed the border by foot (illegally) and on Serbian side were accepted in Presevo and were transported to the Hungarian border. Locals in Gevgelija were complaining that this is unbearable, that they were using public spaces as toilets, were moving accross the city in groups and were making them uneasy. Many were voicing complaints about the health situation that some sort of epidemia will start to loom. With nearing of the start of the school season (the schools opening in September) their fears grew. Same goes for the northern border where villagers were complaining their fields were ruined and they couldn't approach them since many people in groups were just sitting there waiting for a good timing to hop on the Serbian side of the border.
    Meanwhile, the situation got out of control with the trains not having the capacity to transport the people in a decent manner. Ocercrowded is euphemism. There were reports by the Red Cross and other organizations that many women had miscarriages due to the conditions.

    Few days ago, the Government declared both borders as crisis regions and sent additional police troops and the army. The army is deploying as we speak to assist the police.

    Yesterday, most illegal crossings were closed and entrance was forbiden but on the legal border crossing where smaller groups were let in.

    The incident from the article occured when the migrants figured out they are stuck in no man's land, got nervous and started to throw object towards the police, to which the police responded by firing shock grenades (not tear gas).

    The locals are divided, some are bittered by this development and call our police inhumane, while the others cheer the developments.

    During the day additional trains were sent and some 600 were transported north, a huge drop from the 2000 that were moving daily.
    Last edited by Doktor; 22 Aug 15,, 05:22.
    No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

    To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

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    • #3
      In the mean time many here wonder why Macedonia and Serbia are the chosen route and not Bulgaria (EU member) and Romania. All sorts of paranoia of islamization and terrorisn is looming, especially after the report that some 4000 IS members reached Europe.
      No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

      To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Doktor View Post
        In the mean time many here wonder why Macedonia and Serbia are the chosen route and not Bulgaria (EU member) and Romania. All sorts of paranoia of islamization and terrorisn is looming, especially after the report that some 4000 IS members reached Europe.
        We have them deported on spot.And I hope that if they come in massive numbers we'll apply existing laws.''Hold there or I will shoot''.
        If there is no border there is no state.If there is no state there is no law.
        As for islamization,we have the same worries.They're planning the biggest mosque in Europe in Bucharest.
        Those who know don't speak
        He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Doktor View Post
          In the mean time many here wonder why Macedonia and Serbia are the chosen route and not Bulgaria (EU member) and Romania.
          Greece dumps them in Gevgelija since that's where a direct train line from Thessaloniki ends.

          Bulgaria itself does have a migration route too, the "East Balkan route". Like with the West Balkan route via Macedonia, this route isn't any easier though - Bulgaria is a member of the EU, but not part of the Schengen treaty, thus border controls exist. Police there has been known to mistreat refugees to the extent of sometimes robbing them and sending them back across the border with at most the clothes on their back - sometimes not even that. The country reacted to Macedonia closing its border by also deploying its army to the Southwest border.

          Originally posted by Mihais View Post
          They're planning the biggest mosque in Europe in Bucharest.
          The planned mosque in Bucharest will only hold at most 2,000 people - in regular operations half that. Your "mega-mosque" would be a run-of-the-mill neighborhood mosque in Western Europe. There's half a dozen mosques in Europe that claim to be the biggest. None of them accomodates less than 10,000 people.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by kato View Post
            Greece dumps them in Gevgelija since that's where a direct train line from Thessaloniki ends.
            Well, not quite. The railroad is where the official crossing is, kinda next to it. Greeks transport them by buses to the illegal crossings.
            No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

            To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

            Comment


            • #7
              http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0QR06320150822
              Those who know don't speak
              He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

              Comment


              • #8
                4000-5000 men.

                Buses are provided by the Government. Now, they will get stuck on the Serbian entry point.

                There is some moot high-politics going on. Yesterday ours and Serbian PM met.
                No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

                To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

                Comment


                • #9
                  That's bollocks,mate.4000 is the number tjat arrives in 2 days.
                  Shoot them and spread pictures with 100 bodies lying
                  Those who know don't speak
                  He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Why do they not go via Albania?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      They'd be robbed in a eyeblink,at gunpoint.
                      Those who know don't speak
                      He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by snapper View Post
                        Why do they not go via Albania?
                        More borders and worse roads to EU. If you skip the sea it's all mountains
                        No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

                        To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Mihais View Post
                          That's bollocks,mate.4000 is the number tjat arrives in 2 days.
                          Shoot them and spread pictures with 100 bodies lying
                          There is a growing intolerance against Muslims due to radical Islam. But, what went so wrong in Europe? And moreover, those refuges are fleeing the ISIS brutality right (?) for a good life in Europe. Maybe they are the moderates (?).

                          Btw, you don't need guns, your fangs should be enough. :-)
                          Last edited by Oracle; 26 Aug 15,, 13:52.
                          Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

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                          • #14
                            Well,I don't have a problem with tolerance,good life and so forth.I'd say about 40-50 millions should come to Germany alone.Sweden also needs at least 5 millions,etc...There are plenty of people in Africa and ME. Then you'll see something that will make every mass killing in history being put to shame.

                            So Europe of today can take its pick.Close the borders and defend them,or Yugoslavia*50.It's simple.
                            Those who know don't speak
                            He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Mihais View Post
                              Well,I don't have a problem with tolerance,good life and so forth.I'd say about 40-50 millions should come to Germany alone.Sweden also needs at least 5 millions,etc...There are plenty of people in Africa and ME. Then you'll see something that will make every mass killing in history being put to shame.

                              So Europe of today can take its pick.Close the borders and defend them,or Yugoslavia*50.It's simple.
                              Lol. I wasn't blaming you or pointing fingers. Just wanted to know how/why the tolerance vanished? Btw, I agree with the bold part. I think along the same lines too, I mean how long would the civilized world tolerate the radical Muslims? And when mass killing starts, there won't be discrimination. Even the innocents would die. The Muslims are bringing it on themselves.
                              Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

                              Comment

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