The leftist Greek government appears startled by developments at the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) where the construction of a fence has caused an overwhelming number of refugees and economic immigrants to gather. At Idomeni, there are 3,000 refugees trapped by the rail lines, creating a problem to the movement of trade while also exhausting the local community’s ability to cope. While FYROM is blaming the Greek side for the situation and linking it to the long-standing name dispute between the two countries, the EU is warning Greece that it could be suspended from the Schengen passport-free travel zones unless it upgrades its handling of the migration crisis by mid-December in frustration for Greek reluctance to take up EU offers of help.

A growing number of international media outlets are describing Greece as the “Achilles heel” of the Schengen Zone, and point to an EU ultimatum as Greece grapples to cope with the thousands of migrants – mainly from Iran, Pakistan and Morocco – seeking passage out of Greece via FYROM. Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas said that those unable to pass through would be able to return to Athens. Bus transfers organized by the UNHCR have already returned to Athens around 1,000 refugees turned back by FYROM.

Meanwhile, FYROM’s policy of filtering migrants had already cost Greece’s railway operator Trainose more than 1.5 million euros until Tuesday. The Association of International Freight Forwarders and Logistic Enterprises of Greece have urged Infrastructuer Minister Christos Spirtzis to find a solution to the problem that is hurting companies to rerout their cargo through Bulgaria, though this alternative not only costs money but time.

Sources from the European Commission state that a joint Greek-Frontex force will be recommended during December to help register immigrants.