02:27Greece: Iranian refugees sew mouths shut to protest Macedonia's policies
Multiple Iranian refugees have sewn their mouths shut in Idomeni, on the Greece-Macedonia border, Monday, in protest aimed at the Macedonian authorities’ decision to toughen the criteria for allowed legal crossings in the country.
The protest of the refugees, predominately from Iran and Morocco, has been lasting for several days and it culminated in a radical fashion, with them sewing their mouths shut or taping them. One Iranian refugee claimed that the Iranian refugees could not return back to their country because “they would be dead.”
Macedonia’s decision follows a tide of similar decisions brought by several European countries, including EU members, to allow only ‘war-zone refugees’ in the wake of the Paris attacks that occurred on November 13. This resulted in hundreds of migrants being stranded on the Greece-Macedonia border for days.
Macedonia is a key area in the transport of refugees as many of them arrive to Greece by boat, and continue their way northwards through Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary to reach mainly Germany. Police sources say 2,900 people entered Macedonia on Sunday, which is half the number of refugees granted transit through this Balkan country.
02:27Multiple Iranian refugees have sewn their mouths shut in Idomeni, on the Greece-Macedonia border, Monday, in protest aimed at the Macedonian authorities’ decision to toughen the criteria for allowed legal crossings in the country.
The protest of the refugees, predominately from Iran and Morocco, has been lasting for several days and it culminated in a radical fashion, with them sewing their mouths shut or taping them. One Iranian refugee claimed that the Iranian refugees could not return back to their country because “they would be dead.”
Macedonia’s decision follows a tide of similar decisions brought by several European countries, including EU members, to allow only ‘war-zone refugees’ in the wake of the Paris attacks that occurred on November 13. This resulted in hundreds of migrants being stranded on the Greece-Macedonia border for days.
Macedonia is a key area in the transport of refugees as many of them arrive to Greece by boat, and continue their way northwards through Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary to reach mainly Germany. Police sources say 2,900 people entered Macedonia on Sunday, which is half the number of refugees granted transit through this Balkan country.