FYROM blocks border with Greece, 5,000 refugees trapped in transit camp (pics)

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) decision to build a border fence with Greece in a bid to block refugees and migrants heading to Central Europe has created an “asphyxiating” condition at the refugee transit camp at Idomeni. 200 Iranians have been protesting at the entry point since Thursday, causing problems to the normal flow of refugees. Construction is underway in a 1.5-kilometer-long barbed wire fence whose development is overseen by the Balkan state’s army. It is set to run from opposite the small Greek town of Idomeni to the bank of the Axios River.

Thousands of migrants and refugees have crossed into FYROM from Greece over the past few weeks. Reports of the General Police of the regional area of central Macedonia reported that around 4,000 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq had passed through the fields by 6 a.m. on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the transit camp at Idomeni is overcrowded with over 5,000 refugees gathered there. “We are trying to handle the situation. We shared out blankets, food and pitched two large tents of the International Organization for Migration,” said Alexandros Voulgaris, speaking to the Athens-Macedonia News Agency.

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