Refugees still vow to reach north Europe via Macedonia

Newly arrived refugees in Greece continue to head to Macedonia despite being confronted by a closed border and rain-lashed camps amid fears they will be returned to Turkey.

"I will never go back to Turkey, if the border with Macedonia does not re-open, I will try to cross it by other means," said Hassan, a 23-year-old Syrian who says he will wait as long as he must to continue his journey towards northern Europe.

Like thousands of his countrymen who have also been trapped at the Idomeni border post in the north of Greece, Hassan has condemned an EU plan to return refugees and migrants to Turkey, following a summit meeting to discuss the growing crisis.

Hassan arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos ten days ago from a Turkish coastal town, one of the principle gateways for migrants seeking to reach Europe over the past year.
A boy stands by a gate at the Greek Macedonian borders near the village of Idomeni on March 8 2016...

"If Europe doesn't want to accept more refugees, it should immediately do something to stop the war in Syria because until now it hasn't done anything except watch the situation," said Mohammed, a 27-year-old Syrian.

On Monday he joined 150 fellow Syrians to protest the dire situation at Idomeni, burning a Syrian flag and chanting the name of German chancellor Angela Merkel, calling on her to intervene in their plight.

By Tuesday Greek police were reinforced at the Idomeni border post where 13,000 migrants and refugees have gathered -- mostly Iraqis and Syrians -- sleeping in mud following a night of intense rain.

"What have they decided for us in Brussels, having spent several days in shameful conditions? What are these people going to do? We are not beasts; we've left our homes because of the war," said Mohammed.

- 'I will stay here' -

Later that afternoon dozens of soaked people jostled in front of the small gate in the border erected by Macedonia, demanding that it be opened to allow them to pass.

"We need help from all the European countries to open the borders and equally we need (Angela) Merkel to help us," said Ahmed Samih, a student from Daraa, southern Syria, forced to interrupt his studies in Damascus due to the conflict.

"At the border they change their minds every day. One of the recent decisions was that if you come from Damascus then you cannot cross. It's the same thing for those from Raqqa (which is under the control of the Islamic State group) ... they are saying these are towns 'without danger'. But everywhere in Syria, we are in danger.

"Many people in the camp already have relatives in other countries, in Germany, in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Finland."

Samih added that his own brothers are in Germany, where he hopes to continue his studies.

After having allowed 580 people through the border at the weekend, Macedonia has decided not to re-open its frontier, according to Greek police sources.

"I arrived here to cross the border. We don't have any more money, it will be a disaster if they don't say we can pass. I will stay here, there is nothing else to do," said Ali, a 33-year-old Iraqi who arrived at Idomeni two days ago with his wife and two daughters.

- 'Deeply concerned' -

Amid unilateral restrictions already imposed by certain European nations, the EU voted on Monday in favour of returning migrants to Turkey from the overstretched Greek islands, a move that is expected to be finalised at the next EU-Turkey summit later this month.

Under the deal the EU would resettle one Syrian refugee from camps in Turkey in exchange for every Syrian that Turkey takes from Greece, in a bid to reduce the incentive for people to board boats for Europe.

The scheme has already been strongly criticised by the UN and several NGOs, with the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi saying he is "deeply concerned" by the plan.

But despite the clampdown and bleak conditions, newly arrived Syrians in Greece still believe that Idomeni is their best hope for reaching northern Europe.

In Piraeus, the Greek port city 600 kilometres (370 miles) south of Idomeni, a Syrian sports student from Aleppo, who gave his name as Ramdo, arrived on a ferry expecting to be able to take a bus to Idomeni and swiftly cross the Macedonian border, continuing his northward journey.

"Getting off the ferry this afternoon, the people smugglers sold us bus tickets to Idomeni for 40 euros ($44). I am leaving with my uncle, his wife and their children tonight. They told us that as we are Syrian, we should be able to cross the border easily."

Source: AFP