All News on Social Issues in Macedonia
PM "won't take part in anti-migrant campaign"
The state will help migrants "in every possible way" and "will not take part in a campaign against them," says Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.
"Disagreements go toward recognition of Kosovo"
The latest disagreements between Athens and Belgrade could lead to Greece moving toward recognizing Kosovo, writes Koha Ditore.
Macedonia NGOs Oppose Govt Plan for Quick Census
Over 40 NGOs said they opposed the plan revealed last week by the embattled Gruevski, insisting it would be politically risky to undertake such an operation amid a deep political crisis that revolves around allegations of illegal, government-orchestrated mass surveillance.
EU Extends EUR 91,000 to Help Macedonia Cope with Migrant Tide
The European Commission said on Friday it is extending close to EUR 91,000 in humanitarian funding to Macedonia to help tackle a migrant influx.
The funding that will cover basic needs such as food, water, hygiene kits and primary health care services will be provided to Macedonia's Red Cross Society to help the organization assist some 4,600 people over the next three months.
Macedonian Army to Help Police Handle Migrant Inflow
Macedonian army units will be deployed to help police cope with an influx of migrants across its borders, President Gjorge Ivanov has said.
Kosovo Neighbours Pledge to Work Harder on Returnees
Representatives from Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo, dealing with the issue of displaced persons from the 1999 conflict, met in Pristina on Wednesday to discuss regional solutions to a problem persisting 16 years since the war in Kosovo ended.
Hungary Starts Building Fence On Serbian Border
The Hungarian Army on Monday started to prepare the terrain near Morahalom, a small southern border town of about 6,000 people, for the erection of a four-metre-high fence designed to stop illegal migrants.
The authorities are only erecting an "experimental" fence, here however, no more than 150 metres long.
Serbia Opens New Migrant Center in Presevo
A new collective reception centre for migrants opened in the reconstructed building of the tobacco processing company in Presevo in the south of Serbia on July 8.
Aleksandar Vulin, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Affairs and Hans Friedrich Soder, head of the UN's refugee wing, UNHCR, in Serbia, opened the centre.
Migrants Trapped in Balkan 'No-man's Land', Amnesty
Refugees seeking to enter Western Europe are routinely subjected to unlawful push-backs and ill-treatment by police on the Macedonian border with Greece and on the Serbian border with Macedonia, a new report by Amnesty International says.
Amnesty accuses Balkans of abusing EU-bound migrants
Amnesty International on July 7 accused Balkan countries of mistreating migrants passing through their territories on the way to the European Union, saying people fleeing war were being "shamefully let down".
Region's Police Target Illegal Migrant Traffickers
Police directors of Serbia, Hungary, Austria and Germany, meeting on Thursday in Belgrade, agreed to conduct more joint actions to stop illegal migrants and target the cross-border migrant smugglers.
Besides joint patrols on the borders of Serbia with Hungary and Serbia with Macedonia, modern thermal imaging cameras will be used.
Serbian-Hungarian patrol at Serbia-Macedonia border
Serbian and Hungarian police officers started patrolling the border between Serbia and Macedonia together on Monday, Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said.
Stefanovic told reporters that 10 Hungarian policemen are taking part in the four patrols equipped with thermal vision cameras at Serbia's southern border, so as to block illegal migrants.
Collective center for migrants to open in Presevo
Serbia's labor and defense ministers Aleksandar Vulin and Bratislav Gasic on Monday spoke with migrants in Presevo, southern Serbia.
US State Dept Report Highlights Corruption in Macedonia
In its new "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014", the US State Department says that most problems in Macedonia resulted "from significant levels of corruption and from the government's failure to respect fully the rule of law".
The report notes "continuing efforts to restrict media freedom, interference in the judiciary, and selective prosecution."
Serbian Media's Plight Worsening, IREX Reports
The US-based think tank IREX on June 24 presented in Belgrade its annual study on the media situation in 80 countries, stating that Serbia had recorded a downgrade in almost every measured category.