Sunday, March 20, 2016

Migrant children train track Greece
Matt Cardy/Getty
by Liam Deacon14 Mar 2016

Migrants have placed their babies, toddlers and young children on railway tracks in Greece in a bid to blackmail European authorities into reopening their borders.

The children were placed on tracks leading to Macedonia at the Idomeni refugee camp on the Greece-Macedonia border this weekend.


Banners around their young necks were scrawled with demands; “open the borders”, read one, “Everyone has the right to live. Liberty and security of person”, said another.


“We understood the EU advocates human rights not human trafficking”, and, “I’m child and might not know much, but I believe treating people disrespectful for being born on the other side of the planet is called: ‘RACISM’”, added others.

Migrants and refugees take part in a protest asking for the opening of the border on March 12, 2016, in a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni, where thousands of refugees and migrants are stranded by the Balkan border blockade. Greece aims to deal swiftly with the migrant overflow at the Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border where some 12,000 people are camping in miserable conditions waiting to cross. / AFP / DANIEL MIHAILESCU (Photo credit should read DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images)
Migrants take part in a protest asking for the opening of the border on March 12, 2016, (Getty Images)

(Getty Images)
March 12, 2016. (Getty)
Idomeni by the Greece-Macedonia border on March 12, 2016. (Getty Images)

The dramatic scene played out during series of furious demonstrations over the weekend, where migrants waved Germany flags and chanted aggressively.

Around 36,000 have been trapped in Greece recently, unable to move on to their preferred destinations – namely Germany and Sweden.

The build up began weeks ago, when Macedonia — which is not a member of the European Union (EU) or in the Schengen free movement area — began to seal its border on the 20th of February.

IDOMENI, GREECE - MARCH 12: Migrants call for the border to be opened as they gather on railway tracks leading to Macedonia at the Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek Macedonia border on March 12, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece. The decision by Macedonia to close its border to migrants on Wednesday has left thousands of people stranded at the Greek transit camp. The closure, following the lead taken by neighbouring countries, has effectively sealed the so-called western Balkan route, the main migration route that has been used by hundreds of thousands of migrants to reach countries in western Europe such as Germany. Humanitarian workers have described the conditions at the camp as desperate, which has been made much worse by recent bouts of heavy rain. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
March 12, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece. (Getty Images)

IDOMENI, GREECE - MARCH 12: Migrants protest about the closure of the Macedonian Greek border as they gather on railway tracks leading to Macedonia at the Idomeni refugee camp on March 12, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece. The decision by Macedonia to close its border to migrants on Wednesday has left thousands of people stranded at the Greek transit camp. The closure, following the lead taken by neighbouring countries, has effectively sealed the so-called western Balkan route, the main migration route that has been used by hundreds of thousands of migrants to reach countries in western Europe such as Germany. Humanitarian workers have described the conditions at the camp as desperate, which has been made much worse by recent bouts of heavy rain. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
March 12, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece. (Getty

Greek authorities have been offering them free buses back to Athens, the Greek capital, where they will be sent on to brand new registration centres that can comfortably house 50,000 people.
However, the majority is resistant to registering as they plan to break in to Macedonia and travel on to Northern Europe illegally.

Around 140,000 migrants have reached Greece from Turkey so far this year, and another 100,000 are likely to arrive by the end the month, Europe’s migration commissioner warned last week.

IDOMENI, GREECE - MARCH 12: A man holds up a child as migrants protest about the closure of the Macedonian Greek border as they gather on railway tracks leading to Macedonia at the Idomeni refugee camp on March 12, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece. The decision by Macedonia to close its border to migrants on Wednesday has left thousands of people stranded at the Greek transit camp. The closure, following the lead taken by neighbouring countries, has effectively sealed the so-called western Balkan route, the main migration route that has been used by hundreds of thousands of migrants to reach countries in western Europe such as Germany. Humanitarian workers have described the conditions at the camp as desperate, which has been made much worse by recent bouts of heavy rain. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
 March 12, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece. (Getty Images)

A man lies on railway tracks as he demonstrates with other people at a makeshift camp near the Greek village of Idomeni by the Greek-Macedonian border where thousands of refugees and migrants are trapped by the Balkan border blockade, on March 12, 2016. Greece aims to deal swiftly with the migrant overflow at the Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border where some 12,000 people are camping in miserable conditions waiting to cross. Conditions in the camp have worsened since four Balkan countries shut their borders on March 8 and 9, closing off the main route to wealthy northern Europe trodden by hundreds of thousands of migrants in the last two years. / AFP / SAKIS MITROLIDIS (Photo credit should read SAKIS MITROLIDIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Idomeni, on March 12, 2016. (Getty Images)

The so-call ‘Balkans route’ has effectively been closed off, as huge fences have gone up on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders, as well as Macedonia.

Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia have announced they will refuse the transit of most migrants through their territory, and Serbia has now begun to construct a fence of its own.

People sit on railway track as they demonstrate near the makeshift camp close to the Greek village of Idomeni by the Greek-Macedonian border where thousands of refugees and migrants are trapped by the Balkan border blockade, on March 12, 2016. Greece aims to deal swiftly with the migrant overflow at the Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border where some 12,000 people are camping in miserable conditions waiting to cross. Conditions in the camp have worsened since four Balkan countries shut their borders on March 8 and 9, closing off the main route to wealthy northern Europe trodden by hundreds of thousands of migrants in the last two years. / AFP / SAKIS MITROLIDIS (Photo credit should read SAKIS MITROLIDIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Idomeni, on March 12, 2016. (Getty Images)

At talks in Brussels last week, the EU agreed in principle to a Turkish proposal to take back all illegal migrants landing on the Greek islands.

Turkey drove a hard bargain, however, doubling the amount of money previously promised by EU leaders to €6 billion and securing accelerated access to the Schengen free movement zone for its 75 million citizens.




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