International News

ATHENS, (APP/AFP) – More than 5,000 people
were trapped at the Idomeni camp on Greece’s northern border with Macedonia on Saturday after four Balkan countries announced a daily cap on migrant arrivals.
The buildup began in earnest last week after Macedonia began refusing
entry to Afghans and imposed stricter document controls on Syrians and Iraqis, slowing the passage of migrants and refugees to a trickle.
And the situation looked set to worsen significantly after Slovenia
and Croatia, both EU members, and Serbia and Macedonia said they would restrict the number of daily arrivals to 580.
The tighter controls have left thousands — including many children
— stranded in Greece, as the bloc’s worst migration crisis since World War II shows no sign of abating.
By Saturday, some 5,500 people were stranded at Idomeni, local police
said, with another 800 gathered at another provisional camp some 20 kilometres (12 miles) away.
Since Thursday night, only 150 people have crossed into Macedonia,
officials said, putting the total number of refugees and migrants currently on Greek soil at around 25,000.
Tensions were running high along the border with some 400 people
protesting by the Idomeni crossing early on Saturday, demanding that the Macedonian authorities let them in.