Thousands of migrants at Greek border push past police into Macedonia

Amnesty worldwide led condemnations of the Macedonian authorities saying: “Every country has the power to patrol its own borders, but this kind of para-military response is an unacceptable push-back in violation of global law”.

Ahmed, 32, stranded with his wife Rane and seven-month-old child, have waited four days at the border, hoping they can head to Germany where they have friends.

The United Nations (UN) estimates that some 160,000 migrants have landed in Greece since the beginning of the year; 50,000 arriving in the past month alone.

Macedonia on Thursday declared a state of emergency and sealed its borders to stem the tide of migrants crossing through its territory at a rate of some 2,000 a day.

Around 1,500 migrants managed to slip past barricades on Saturday, swarming security to get through the border, according to UPI.

“Macedonian authorities should be protecting migrants, including children and those among them who may be fleeing war and persecution, not giving the police a green light to fire at them“, Emina Cerimovic, research fellow at the rights group, said in a statement.

Corinne Ambler, a Red Cross official at the Macedonian border town of Gevgelija said there were “far too many” people to help.

Now migrants are allowed to enter the country but only in limited number every day and priority is given to vulnerable groups – women, children and elderly.

On Sunday, they were able to board trains and buses that took them north to the border with Serbia.

The migrants are heading to Hungary, although it is racing to complete construction of a border fence to keep them out.

About 600 people were allowed through overnight, jammed into a 5 a.m. local time train headed north toward Serbia, the last stop on a long road from the Middle East, Africa and Asia to Hungary and Europe’s borderless Schengen zone.

“Most of them stay rough in the open air”, he said.

Hundreds of people passed through the border from Greece.

Police appeared to regain control of the situation in about 30 minutes, stopping the flow of people with a dozen stun grenades.

Conditions at the border have deteriorated with some aid being given to migrants with little or no access to shelter, food or water.

“They took me out and left him there”, Kabul said with tears in her eyes. “I did not sleep or eat for three days. When the system can not cope, you improve the system – you don’t just stop people from coming in”.

Mr Poposki said all migrants had to register on entering Macedonia, and they had 72 hours to decide whether they would apply for asylum or pursue their route north.

A migrant with a baby tries to pass the fence.

A Greek government-chartered ferry carrying about 2,200 mainly Syrian refugees from Lesbos – which sees the highest number of arrivals in Greece – reached Athens later Friday.

A young migrant reacts during the clash.

Hull said large numbers of Syrians had earlier moved back from the point of crossing to separate themselves from other nationalities.

The coast guard said 22 rescue operations were carried out for motorised rubber dinghies and fishing boats, all crammed with migrants desperate to reach Europe’s southern shores.