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Refugees hold demonstration in Athens, request open borders

Xinhua, March 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

Refugees stranded in Greece for several days due to the closing of borders along the Balkan route to Central Europe staged a demonstration in Athens on Wednesday, calling for the opening of the borders.

Some 500 refugees and migrants, Afghans in their vast majority, set off for a 15 km march from the relocation center of Schisto in Piraeus to the Greek capital, carrying placards with slogans such as "We do not want discrimination. Please listen to our voices."

Greek news agency AMNA reported that they were turned back in the middle of the distance by Greek police before reaching their destination, Victoria square in the Greek capital which in recent months has become an unofficial hot spot for refugees seeking to continue their journey to central and northern Europe.

The protesters who took part in the unusual demonstration were transferred by buses to the hospitality center.

By the latest count announced by Greek authorities there were some 36,000 refugees and migrants trapped in Greece on Wednesday due to the strict restrictions introduced by Austria and Balkan countries in the past three weeks.

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) lately allows only a few dozen Syrians and Iraqis per day to cross the borders from Greece.

As a result, some 10,000 refugees and migrants remain stranded at the Idomeni camp and farming fields near the border crossing waiting for the reopening of the borders to continue their trip.

The situation is dramatic, according to Greek and foreign officials and NGOs. The camp can host less than 2,000 people, food is scarce and due to heavy rain over the past few days tents are soaked and several children play in the mud barefoot.

Almost half of the refugees currently at Idomeni are children in need of urgent help, according to e-mailed press releases from volunteers operating in the area.

With increasing numbers of children suffering from fever and other symptoms, Greek health authorities have dispatched groups of disease control experts to monitor the situation.

At least 70 children have been transferred to local hospitals so far with various health problems, local television channel MEGA reported on Wednesday. Endit