Migrants protest on Greece-Macedonia border

Migrants refer to the Paris attacks during Saturday’s protest. Obama and most Democrats say the US system is safe and the country shouldn’t abandon its tradition of accepting refugees. “I will never go back”, he said. “I am a Christian and face persecution in my country”. “Sovereign bases are not a back door to migration”.

“It is important that every individual who is seeking asylum has access to a fair and efficient asylum procedure, regardless of their nationality”, the spokeswoman said.

The build-up of migrants at the border has been further worsened by deteriorating weather conditions in the area which has been hit by rain and wind over the past two days.

“This afternoon 53 migrants who had previously claimed asylum were transferred in to the care of the Cypriot authorities”, said a British Forces Cyprus spokesperson.

Information for this article was contributed by staff members of The Associated Press. He said 13 have indicated they would return to Lebanon voluntarily while a few who haven’t declared their intentions are being considered for deportation.

More than 4,000 refugees and migrants have streamed into Europe each day in November, adding to the influx of 846,000 people – many of them Syrians fleeing war – who have crossed the Mediterranean this year, according to the UNHCR. He says Croatia has informed Serbia and Macedonia down the so-called migrant route, that “it is now obvious they will not be able to pass”.

“We must protect our country and that is why we have undertaken reciprocal measures towards those for whom Slovenia and Croatia consider there is no place”, he said.

The Romanian police said border controls had been temporarily increased “to prevent people from conflict zones who could carry out activities that are a real threat to internal and foreign security”.

Macedonian authorities took the decision to exclude migrants from non-war countries earlier this week on the heels of similar action by Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. “We have not yet received a response from the Croatian side”. “This is going to be definitely a challenging situation”, Sunjic said.

On the Croatia-Serbia border, Croats are allowing in only from these three countries, plus Palestine.

Doctors without Borders reported that around 6,000 people were already stuck at the Macedonia-Greece border overnight on Thursday.

Dozens of migrants pushed past a cordon of Greek riot police guarding the barrier marking the exit from Greek territory, only 20-30 metres from the heavily guarded entry point into Macedonia.