Refugees in Macedonia Sew Their Mouthes Shut in Protest of Border Restrictions

Mohammed Merka, a Somali prevented from crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, told Reuters: “We are human beings and we have escaped war”.

A migrant uses a blanket to warm, as he waits in no man’s land to be allowed to pass the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015. Muiznieks said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“Voluntary solidarity has not worked so we need rules-based solidarity”, Muiznieks said, calling the so-called Dublin rules – which allow migrants to be returned to the countries where they first entered the European Union – “bankrupt” because they put “unsustainable pressures on front-line countries” like Greece, Italy, Hungary and Slovenia.

Around a thousand migrants remain stuck at the main border crossing into Macedonia from Greece due to new restrictions denying them refugee status.

Iranians, Pakistanis, Moroccans and others have held days of protests, and several migrants broke through a flimsy barrier into Macedonia on Thursday.

Six men who appear to be from Iran sewed their mouths shut in protest of the new policies and wrote in red paint the words “Iran” and “Freedom” on their foreheads and chests.

Macedonia, along with Serbia and Croatia will only take refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, in an attempt to control the number of migrants coming into Europe.

“The situation is untenable”, said Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

Since last week, Macedonia, which lies on the main migrant route to northern Europe, has restricted passage to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees.

Sobotka previously dismissed Zeman’s suggestion that migration is linked to terrorism.

“I’ve been touched by the generosity of the Americans who’ve written me letters and emails in recent weeks, offering to open their homes to refugees fleeing the brutality of ISIL”, Obama said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

In the interview, Zeman said he would do it again.

The protesters started to refuse blankets and food, and some of them said they’d rather be shot than go back to their countries.

“Talk about a sharp drop in the number of refugee arrivals to Greece may be premature”.