After a continuous influx of migrants and refugees, the government of FYROM declared a state of emergency in the country’s southern border with Greece and northern border with Serbia on Thursday afternoon.
FYROM police are currently on the country’s border with Greece in an effort to deter migrants and refugees from entering the country. Red Cross officials had told Reuters on Sunday that around 2,000 refugees and migrants enter FYROM through Greece on a daily basis. Although a state of emergency has been declared, FYROM’S borders have not been closed.
“Due to an increasing pressure on the southern border… it is estimated that bigger and more efficient control is needed in the region where illegal border crossings from the Greek side have been massively registered,” the FYROM government said in a statement according to the AFP.
Migrants and refugees have been entering Europe through the Greek islands at unprecedented rates. The United Nations estimate that by mid August more than 160,000 seaborne migrants and refugees had arrived in Greece since the beginning of 2015.
FYROM is not a member of the Schengen Area agreement which has eradicated border control between countries that are members. However, Hungary, which lies to the north of FYROM is such a member and is a gateway to numerous European Union countries. Migrants and refugees entering FYROM often trek through the country and then through its northern neighbour Serbia to reach Hungary and the Schengen area.
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