News / EU

Macedonia police clash with refugees

Wednesday, 02 December 2015 6:59 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 02 December 2015 6:59 PM ]

The photo shows a refugee and his kid behind a fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija, December 1, 2015. (AFP Photo)

Macedonian police have clashed with refugees bogged down in rain and cold on the border with Greece.

Clashes erupted on Wednesday when a group of refugees attempted to make their way across the border. Police used tear gas and fired warning shots to push the asylum seekers back, the DPA reported.

The refugees had been stranded outdoors for days on the Greek-Macedonian border between Idomeni on the Greek side and Gevgelija in Macedonia. They tried to pass through a border fence that has been erected against the influx of refugees.

No casualties were reported.

The Macedonian government stopped admitting what it calls economic refugees in late November. Similar clashes have been reported on the border ever since.

Before Macedonia, several Balkan countries, including Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, located on the route refugees take to western and northern Europe had adopted the same selective approach toward refugees from some countries.

Only the refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan were permitted to pass in, and the rest were kept out in the wet cold.

The harsh decision left all other refugees, hailing from various African and Asian countries, including a multitude of children, stranded at the spot.

Earlier on Wednesday, Greek Deputy Immigration Minister Ioannis Mouzalas said Macedonia’s decision to stop some people at the border was against the law.

"To divide people according to their nationality violates international law."

The photo shows a refugee boy crying after being pushed by police at the Greek-Macedonian border near Gevgelija, November 20, 2015. (AFP)

Mouzalas, however, said Athens would try to push the stranded refugees to go to Athens, and from there, back to their home countries. He did not explain what Athens planned to do with refugees who resisted being moved.

Europe is struggling to cope with the unprecedented surge of refugees, fleeing war and persecution.

According to the UN, close to 900,000 refugees have landed in Europe via the Mediterranean from Africa and Asia so far this year. Hundreds of the refugees, mainly from the Middle East, have so far died in their perilous journey to the West.

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