EC concerned on refugee crackdown on Macedonia-Greece border

“The commission is very concerned by the images we saw yesterday,” European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a press conference in the Belgian capital city of Brussels.

On Tuesday, the European Commission has expressed deep concern about police brutality against refugees trapped on the Greek-Macedonian border.

“The commission is very concerned by the images we saw yesterday,” European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a press conference in the Belgian capital city of Brussels.

Yesterday, Macedonian police used teargas to disperse some 300 refugees who had forced their way through a Greek police cordon and raced toward a railway track between the two countries.

Since Austria and some Balkan countries such as Macedonia imposed restrictions on their borders regarding refugee entry and limiting the numbers able to cross, refugees have become run around in Greece.

It is also reported that 24,000 refugees have been camping in neglected conditions with little food or medical help on the Greek side of the border as Macedonia put restrictions on entry.

“The images show once again that the only solution is a collective solution, a European solution, all measures on the borders must be in compliance with international law, and European law,” Margaritis Schinas said.

However, Austria and Balkan nations agreed to restrict numbers, while Hungary plans to hold a referendum on the EU refugee quota.  Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia imposed a limit of 580 refugees entering their country every day.

The EU ministers agreed to relocate 120,000 refugees from Italy, Greece and Hungary to other EU countries in last September although Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have been opposing the quota system.

Already, the Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees who fled from the war zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.

Although, there is a strong accusation against the west of fostering terrorism in the Middle East, which is being considered as the main reason behind the departure of refugees from their home countries.