Roundup: Migrant dies on Greece-Macedonia border, tension rising

A 22-year-old Moroccan national was electrocuted at Idomeni on the Greece-Macedonia border on Thursday, local authorities said.

The migrant died after touching high voltage cables while climbing on top of a train carriage in his attempt to cross from Greece to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

A few days ago another man had been injured under similar circumstances.

Approximately 5,000 people are stranded in Idomeni over the past two weeks, as Macedonian authorities start erecting a fence and closing the border to economic migrants, allowing only Syrians and Afghans to continue their journey to other European countries.

Tensions have risen in the area with migrants and refugees holding a sit-in protest on the railway line connecting the two countries and clashing with police forces.

With hundreds of cargo carriages remaining idle across the borderline and companies are losing millions of euros as Athens blasts Macedonia for "violation of the international legal framework."

The classification of refugees on the basis of nationalities is unacceptable, Greek Deputy Minister for Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas stressed in statements to Greek media.

Addressing parliament, Mouzalas also underlined that Greece would remain a Schengen member country and that the government will soon resolve the issue at the border with Macedonia.

More than 650,000 refugees and migrants have reached Greece's shores this year and Athens has been heavily criticized by some European partners and neighboring countries of failing to guard its borders and fully cooperating with EU agencies on tackling the crisis.

Greece will be under significant pressure in the upcoming Dec. 17 European Council summit to convince European partners that all necessary measures are being implemented. Endit