2,000 migrants stuck on Macedonia border, more arriving

Nearly 2,000 refugees and migrants have reportedly been stranded during a rainy night in a border area between Greece and Macedonia, with hundreds more arriving there in the hope of reaching Western Europe.

War refugees, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, who have remained in the no-man’s land at the border area since Thursday, slept the night on Friday in open space despite heavy rain and declining temperatures, AFP reported.

This is while Macedonian army soldiers were deployed throughout the wooded area that lines the 50-kilometer border, the report added citing army spokesman colonel Mirce Gjorgoski, who did not offer further details.

Meanwhile, Macedonia declared a state of emergency on Thursday and sealed off its border for 24 hours.

However, following clashes between police and migrants that left at least eight refugees injured, Skopje decided to allow in a limited number of the migrants so that they could continue with their journey to Western Europe.

Macedonian security forces began allowing several dozens of refugees to cross the border and take a train to the north late on Friday in their efforts to reach the European Union zone.

Moreover, hundreds more migrants were also reported to be heading towards the border from the Greek side on foot or arriving on buses from the direction of the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki.

According to figures released by the UN refugee agency, thousands of migrants pour into Greece every week in an effort to travel through Macedonia and Serbia to reach the European Union.

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