The number of refugees and immigrants who are trapped in Greece after FYROM’s decision to close its borders continues to increase. Up to now more than 25,000 people have been scattered all over Greece.

Yesterday, in an attempt to stem the flow of refugees and immigrants to mainland Greece, the government ordered the ferries to carry only half of their maximum capacity creating once more a suffocating situation in Greek islands, since arrivals from Turkey have not stopped.

The new plan of the government, which seems to be in panic, let the islands to carry the burden of the stranded refugees and immigrants so as the mainland Greece stops seeing desperate immigrants, who want to reach Idomeni and pass the borders by any means, walking along the Athens-Thessaloniki highway or sleeping on the street.

The information on that decision was leaked yesterday and confirmed on Friday morning by Minister of Marine Theodoros Dritsas.

As he said, the Shipping ministry will proceed with a temporary plan to limit the refugee flow from the islands, whicl will be in effect as of Friday and will continue all weekend aiming to give the necessary time in order to develop new temporary hosting facilities for refugees and migrants in Attica and other regions of the country.
However, this decision of the government has already caused tension in the islands, since the refugees and immigrants are crowded in the ports.

In the meanwhile, the refugees and immigrants are trying to reach Greece-FYROM borders by any means. Fathers and mothers with their children in their arms, elder people and small children decided to reach Idomeni on foot despite police warnings.

Thousands of people are walking along the Athens-Thessaloniki highway, while only 150 refugees from Syria and Iraq were allowed to enter FYROM in the past 24 hours.

According to the police, the temporary camp in Idomeni is full with 3,000 people already staying there and 1,300 more staying at the gas station some miles away.