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Balkan border restrictions spark concerns among UN agencies

Xinhua, November 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

New border restrictions implemented by Balkan governments are "becoming increasingly untenable", according to a statement jointly released by the United Nations refugee agency and two other organizations.

A range of restrictions, including profiling on the basis of nationality, are hindering the movements of refugees and migrants leaving Greece and moving further north through the Western Balkans, according to the statement by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund(UNICEF).

Tensions at borders are also being reported as a result of these measures, especially since many refugees and migrants are left in total limbo and completely stranded at different border points, according to UNHCR.

"There is urgent need to put in place additional reception capacity at the points of entry, to allow for decent and effective accommodation, compliance with child protection standards, assistance, registration and screening of the thousands of people arriving every day," the refugee agency said in the statement.

UNHCR, IOM and UNICEF called on the concerned states to re-establish coordination and response mechanisms which were agreed upon at the Western Balkans Summit on October 8 and the Leaders' Meeting on October 25. Enditem