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Teargas fired as refugees try to breach Greece-Macedonia border Teargas fired as refugees try to breach Greece-Macedonia border
(about 5 hours later)
Macedonian police have fired teargas as a group of refugees broke through a fence at the small frontier town of Idomeni on the Greek-Macedonian border. Scenes of chaos intensified across Greece Monday as the embattled government edged closer to declaring a state of emergency to deal with tens of thousands of migrants and refugees trapped in the country.
A crush developed when rumours spread that Macedonian authorities were opening the border after it had been fully sealed for several hours. With authorities scrambling to accommodate desperate men, women and children from Athens’ port city of Piraeus in the south to Pella in the north, tensions escalated at the Greek Macedonian border as police from the neighbouring Balkan state fired tear gas on refugees who broke through a frontier fence at Idomeni.
Hundreds who gathered at the razor-wire fence used metal poles to bring down a gate by digging beneath the barrier and pushing it up and out. At least two people collapsed in the crush and use of teargas, Reuters television images showed. “Even Greek police were tear gassed,” said Gemma Gillie, spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders who witnessed the scene. “It all happened so suddenly as a group of about 300 people, shouting ‘open the border’, were shaking the fence, “she told the Guardian. “At some point they broke through it but no one actually tried to run the border.”
Up to 500 people pushed their way past Greek police to reach the gate used to let trains through at the border crossing. A Reuters witness said Macedonian police fired several rounds of teargas into crowds, who were chanting “Open the border!” and throwing stones at the police. Greek officials said over 7,000 people had amassed at a makeshift camp on the border. The vast majority were Syrians and Iraqis determined to continue their journey north into central Europe. “Everywhere you look there are children, we’ve never seen so many,” added Gillie. “They were gassed too. Ten of the 22 we had to treat for respiratory problems were kids and four were under the age of five.”
About 6,500 people – mostly Syrian and Iraqi – are stuck on the Greek side of the border. Some have been there for up to eight days with little food or shelter as Macedonia accepts only a trickle of people each day. Greek government insiders said the pressure on the country’s public infrastructure – eviscerated by seven years of budget cuts to keep debt-stricken Athens afloat – was overwhelming. Schools, sporting arenas, passenger terminals and sporting arenas have all been turned into impromptu refugee camps. Between 2,000 to 3,000 migrants and refugees are reaching Greece every day with close to 25,000 stranded within its borders as a result of the decision of Balkan countries to close Europe’s migrant corridor. More than 9,500 are marooned in Athens alone. Volunteers described scenes of mayhem at passenger terminals in Piraeus and arrival halls of Athens’ erstwhile Ellinikon airport where up to 4,000 have been housed. “We should have resorted to using the armed forces long ago,” said one. “Being [a] leftwing [administration], there was hesitation. There were humanitarian values we wanted to uphold.”
The bottleneck has increased demand for people smugglers and fake travel documents with traffickers reportedly flooding Athens’ Victoria Square, the main meeting point for refugees.
For several days, Macedonian authorities citing a similar move by Serbian police, have reduced the migrant flow to a trickle. “People here are not so much angry as scared,” said Gillie. “The border has only been opened at night and just for a few hours. Although they are Syrians and Iraqis, many are worried that they will fall victim to the same abrupt decision that was taken with Afghans.”
In the six days since restrictions were tightened thousands of Afghan nationals have been returned by bus to Athens.
The desperate scenes came as Angela Merkel warned that European countries cannot afford to let the continent’s refugee crisis plunge Greece into chaos by shutting their borders to migrants.The desperate scenes came as Angela Merkel warned that European countries cannot afford to let the continent’s refugee crisis plunge Greece into chaos by shutting their borders to migrants.
With up to 70,000 refugees expected to become stranded on Greece’s northern borders in the coming days, the German chancellor said the recently bailed-out Athens government could become paralysed by the huge numbers of arrivals from Syria, Afghanistan and conflict-ridden African countries.With up to 70,000 refugees expected to become stranded on Greece’s northern borders in the coming days, the German chancellor said the recently bailed-out Athens government could become paralysed by the huge numbers of arrivals from Syria, Afghanistan and conflict-ridden African countries.
“Do you seriously believe that all the euro states that last year fought all the way to keep Greece in the eurozone – and we were the strictest – can one year later allow Greece to, in a way, plunge into chaos?” Merkel said in an interview with the public broadcaster ARD.“Do you seriously believe that all the euro states that last year fought all the way to keep Greece in the eurozone – and we were the strictest – can one year later allow Greece to, in a way, plunge into chaos?” Merkel said in an interview with the public broadcaster ARD.
Greece fears that it will become a “parking lot” for refugees as its northern neighbours tightly restrict the number of people coming into their territory. About 22,000 people are in Greece seeking to travel to countries in northern Europe.Greece fears that it will become a “parking lot” for refugees as its northern neighbours tightly restrict the number of people coming into their territory. About 22,000 people are in Greece seeking to travel to countries in northern Europe.
This month Austria, which took in 90,000 asylum seekers in 2015 and saw almost 10 times as many pass through, imposed a daily cap on the number of asylum claims it would hear and the number of migrants and refugees it would allow to enter its territory.This month Austria, which took in 90,000 asylum seekers in 2015 and saw almost 10 times as many pass through, imposed a daily cap on the number of asylum claims it would hear and the number of migrants and refugees it would allow to enter its territory.
At a meeting in Vienna last week, it persuaded nine countries along the Balkans migrant route from Greece to impose tighter controls too. Neither Greece nor Germany were invited to the talks, starkly exposing the rifts within the EU as it faces the biggest influx of migrants since 1945.At a meeting in Vienna last week, it persuaded nine countries along the Balkans migrant route from Greece to impose tighter controls too. Neither Greece nor Germany were invited to the talks, starkly exposing the rifts within the EU as it faces the biggest influx of migrants since 1945.
Related: Greece recalls ambassador from Austria over EU refugees rowRelated: Greece recalls ambassador from Austria over EU refugees row
Germany in particular has criticised the limit on the number allowed to pass through Austria. Vienna has said Germany itself imposed daily caps in December, leading to “huge backlogs” in Austria.Germany in particular has criticised the limit on the number allowed to pass through Austria. Vienna has said Germany itself imposed daily caps in December, leading to “huge backlogs” in Austria.
On Sunday Merkel said she found Austria’s “unilateral” decision “a little unfortunate” and said it had derailed a timetable for a series of EU measures and meetings to tackle the migrant crisis.On Sunday Merkel said she found Austria’s “unilateral” decision “a little unfortunate” and said it had derailed a timetable for a series of EU measures and meetings to tackle the migrant crisis.
She said Vienna’s move came just before an EU summit on 18 February and led her to insist that leaders move forward their next Brussels debate on the issue from a regular 18 March summit to 7 March.She said Vienna’s move came just before an EU summit on 18 February and led her to insist that leaders move forward their next Brussels debate on the issue from a regular 18 March summit to 7 March.
“If Austria had not taken this decision, we could have waited until our regular March 18 council,” she said, allowing time to see results from several measures, such as a Nato surveillance mission in the Aegean sea to stop refugee boats.“If Austria had not taken this decision, we could have waited until our regular March 18 council,” she said, allowing time to see results from several measures, such as a Nato surveillance mission in the Aegean sea to stop refugee boats.