Serious clashes have broken out on the border between Greece and FYROM, as thousands of refugees are trying to cross over into the neighboring country.
On Friday morning the government in Skopje decided to block access to refugees and has deployed Army and armored vehicles to protect the border. Groups of refugees that are trying to cross over have clashed with FYROM police, which has used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowds.
According to Antonis Rigas of the Doctors Without Borders who spoke to tovima.gr, FYROM’s police forces also used rubber bullets and estimated that about 100 people have been injured in the clashes.
About 3,000 refugees have arrived in the northern Greek town of Idomeni, which is on the border with FYROM, in effort to cross over and continue their journey to other European countries. Many more refugees are expected to arrive, as 2,500 refugees who were dropped off in Piraeus head north. There are no facilities or amenities for the refugees in the area, making the situation dire.
When tovima.gr contacted the Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Tasia Christodoulopoulou regarding the government plan to address the humanitarian crisis on the border, she noted that the government has resigned and that she has not been informed on the situation and actions.
