Off the wire
• Death toll from building collapse in Nigeria's Lagos rises to 30  • Roundup: EU-Turkey agreement: EP demands respect for int'l law  • London faces environmental challenge from rising population  • LME base metals increase on Wednesday  • IS uses "poisonous substance" in shelling village: Iraqi official  • S. Africa, Russia join hands in fighting drug trafficking  • Russian Skating Union vow to prove athletes innocent of doping  • China women's football earns ticket to Rio Olympics  • Interview: Chinese firms helpful in development of Nigeria's NW state: governor  • Dutch-based dredging company Royal Boskalis 2015 net profit down 10.2 pct  
You are here: 　 Home

UNHCR warns over alarming migrant situation at Macedonia border crossing

Xinhua, March 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

UNHCR representatives in Macedonia on Wednesday issued a warning over the alarming situation on the northern border crossing of Tabanovce, used by the refugees to go from Macedonia to Serbia, where over a thousand people are now stuck.

Hana Habahmi, a field monitor for UNHCR based in the Gevgelija transit center for refugees, informed no refugees were allowed to go from Greece to Macedonia for more than two days.

Serbia is no longer allowing refugees without valid documents to enter its territory.

UNHCR reported that due to the overcrowding, the Tabanovce center is facing problems with electric installations, with a fire narrowly being averted, and a reported theft of blankets.

The Macedonian Ministry of Interior said over 30,000 migrants remain stranded on the Macedonian and Greek border.

In the past day, the Macedonian Ministry of Interior has not issued certificates for intended asylum request to foreign nationals.

Since the beginning of 2016, a total of 89,617 certificates expressing the intention to seek asylum have been issued by the Macedonian Ministry of Interior to nationals from Syria (44,734), Afghanistan (26,546) and Iraq (18,337). Enditem