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Roundup: UNHCR expresses concern over situation at border between Greece, Macedonia

Xinhua, August 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

The use of force earlier Friday to prevent migrants from crossing the border between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has drown big concern from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

A statement from UNHCR on Friday said that the UN refugee agency is particularly worried about the thousands of vulnerable refugees and migrants, especially women and children, now massed on the Greek side of the border amid deteriorating conditions.

According to UNHCR, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres spoke on Friday with FYROM Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki about the situation, and received assurances that the border will not be closed in the future.

While understanding the pressures facing FYROM and legitimate security concerns, UNHCR appeals to the government to put in place mechanisms necessary to establish an orderly and protection-sensitive management of its borders.

"In particular, we encourage the government to work with UNHCR to establish sufficient reception capacity in the country as well as organized registration and identification," UNHCR's statement said.

UNHCR is also appealing to the Greek authorities to enhance registration and reception arrangements for people in need of international protection and to provide urgent assistance to people stranded on the Greek side of the border and help them move towards reception facilities away from the border.

While reiterating its earlier calls on the European Union to step up support for countries affected and impacted by the movement of refugees in south-eastern Europe, UNHCR said it stands ready to provide assistance to both governments with these challenging tasks.

Huge increase in the number of migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Asia trying to enter Macedonia through its southern border with Greece led Macedonian authorities to declare a "state of emergency" on Thursday, which will deploy army and try to control the situation at the border.

Humanitarian organizations activists called the situation "dramatic," while thousands of people mainly from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan are waiting at the border, trying to enter Macedonia from Greece and continue their way to Serbia and to the north. Endit