All News on Social Issues in Macedonia
Grevena officials oppose ministry's refugee housing plan
The mayor and the deputy regional governor in the town and regional unit of Grevena, northern Greece, expressed their opposition to a government plan to house refugees and migrants in hotels in the mountainous parts of the region in the coming days, as part of ongoing efforts to relieve pressure on camps on the islands.
Tensions rise as more migrants reach Greek border
An increasing number of migrants is amassing at Greece's eastern border, abetted by neighboring Turkey, which provides buses to transport them to the area and has left its own border open.
Overnight tension continued, with some migrant throwing rocks at Greek police and the latter replying with tear gas and stun grenades.
43 Migrants were Found in a Truck in Northern Macedonia
43 migrants from Bangladesh have been found in a truck in Northeastern Macedonia, MIA reported.
The driver of the truck, a 29-year-old man, was arrested.
The truck was stopped for inspection on Saturday night at about 9.40 pm near a gas station after the police received a preliminary warning that it was possible a truck to transport migrants illegally.
North Macedonia finds 53 migrants crammed into a truck
Police in North Macedonia have found 53 migrants crammed into a truck in a southeastern border region and arrested the driver on suspicion of belonging to a trafficking gang, officials said Thursday.
A police statement said the vehicle was stopped during a routine check late Wednesday near the town of Valandovo, which is close to North Macedonia's borders with Greece and Bulgaria.
New facilities on mainland to host 15,000 migrants
The government's plan to ease pressure on Aegean islands amid the continuing arrival of irregular migrants from neighboring Turkey foresees 10 new centers on the mainland that will be able to host up to 15,000 asylum seekers, with the first 10,000 to be transferred from the islands to the new facilities by the end of February, Kathimerini understands.
Timeline: A Year of Democracy in Central and Southeast Europe
JANUARY
January 11 - Romania begins a six-month EU Council presidency amid anti-government protests at home and calls from EU leaders to respect the rule of law.
January 17 - Human Rights Watch's World Report 2019 highlights threats to journalists and minority and immigrants' rights as key problems in the Balkans.
Two men found hanged at hotel for migrants
Police are investigating the death of two foreign men who stayed at a hotel for migrants in central Macedonia.
A 30-year-old Afghan was found hanged on Christmas Day in the afternoon at a bridge by the hotel at Mouries, near Kilkis. Then a 35-year-old Iraqi national was found hanged in a corridor of the hotel.
Lies and half-truths
What do the Prespes agreement, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Boris Johnson have in common? They are all involved with nationalism, populism, lies, half-truths and illegality. The rallying cry for nationalist opposition to Prespes, "Macedonia is Greek," was a half-truth. Half of Macedonia is certainly Greek. The other half is Macedonian.