Greece 'eyes evacuation of Idomeni border camp Tuesday'

Greece is planning a police operation early Tuesday to evacuate the squalid migrant camp of Idomeni on its border with Macedonia, a report said Monday.

Citing police sources, Greek TV station Mega said police reinforcements had been dispatched from Athens to help relocate 8,500 people from the camp where thousands of migrants and refugees have been stranded since the Balkans states closed their borders in mid February. 

Speaking to AFP, a police source confirmed an operation was in the works but declined to confirm it would be on Tuesday.

Another police source said reinforcements had been moved to the area "to forestall reactions by a minority of migrants who could have a negative response" but denied that a forceful evacuation was imminent.

"Most of the migrants would not have a problem with leaving... some additional precautions are taken to avoid having unpleasant developments," the second officer said, while denying there would be a full-scale evacuation of the camp. 

Over the past two weeks, 2,500 people had left the camp following efforts to persuade them to relocate to more organised camps, the source said. 

"In the last two weeks, there has been a 'mild' evacuation effort (through persuasion) that has already seen 2,500 people move out... this will continue," the second officer said.

Thousands of migrants fleeing war, persecution and poverty in the Middle East and Asia have found themselves stranded at Idomeni after Macedonia and other Balkan states denied them passage to northern Europe.

They spent a miserable winter in the freezing rain and mud, with aid groups struggling to keep them fed and healthy, prompting several attempts to force their way across the border. 

Last month, 260 people were injured when Macedonian police fired tear gas in a bid to prevent a large group from storming the border.

Source AFP