Macedonia uses force to force refugees back to Greece

(Baonghean.vn) - Across the border area, scenes of despair were seen as the Macedonian governmentdecided to return scores of refugees, men, women and children, to makeshift camps in Greece from which they had fled the day before.

Men, women and children from the Idomeni village camp in Greece are attempting to cross the river to Macedonia.

Thousands of starving refugees were forcibly returned to Greece on Tuesday after fleeing to Macedonia, crossing an icy river to cross the border, deepening tensions between the two countries.

“They beat everyone, women, children and men,” said Halad al-Hassan, 32, from Raqqa, a city in Syria. “Everyone was shocked, so shocked that no one wanted to say anything,” he sighed, shaking his head helplessly. “I’ve been here for 27 days. It’s so cold, the conditions are so bad, it’s unbelievable. Why did Macedonia do this? Why did Europe close its borders?”

The young men, their faces astonished, walked aimlessly, blankets draped over their shoulders in the bitter cold. Many had even walked all night. An estimated 2,500 refugees were forced back to Greece by the Macedonian government.

Save the Children described how Macedonian authorities returned refugees in large trucks, dumping cold, wet and disoriented children along the road.

“Some people collapsed on the side of the road and needed medical help. Those who were “lucky” enough to return to the camp had to spend the night outdoors in heavy rain,” the organization said. “There are still 600 people stranded on the other side of the river,” the organization said.

The “March of Hope” appears to be faltering not only because of the deteriorating conditions in the makeshift camp but also because of the Arabic-language leaflets urging refugees to take their fate into their own hands.

The leaflets, distributed openly by activists on Monday, provide maps and directions on the best route to the border, including a drawing of a dried-up river, despite heavy rains in the area for two weeks. Three Afghans have drowned while trying to swim across the river’s fast-flowing waters.

Visiting the camp on Tuesday, a senior European Commission official, Dimistris Avramopoulos, urged refugees to ignore the heartless.

“If we go through the legal route, everyone can live better, one day,” he said, adding that the EU needed to immediately implement the plan it had drawn up to settle the refugees.

“From Idomeni, I send a message to all of Europe: let us all show solidarity. Our values ​​are at stake and it can be seen clearly here.”

Tu Linh

According to The Guardian