Yannis Mouzalas

Speaking to a private TV channel on refugee, Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas referred to FYROM calling it ‘Macedonia’ and causing turmoil.

Greece said March 13 it backs the presence of Turkish observers on its Aegean islands in a bid to speed implementation of a plan to return migrants stranded there to Turkey.

The refugees and immigrants spent another night in the rain and cold in Idomeni, since intense rainfalls have turned the area into a mudflat and many of the tents set up in the farmlands around the camp are flooded.

The number of refugees and immigrants trapped in Greece has reached 33,320, according to the Greek government, while Hellenic Red Cross talked about 50,000 people, European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos estimated that 100,000 people will be in Greece until the end of March and Alternate Minister Yannis Mouzalas warned of a large number of refugees and immigrants.

The refugee crisis is suffocating Greece with thousands of stranded refugees and immigrants waiting to pass the borders and continue their journey, while the government is being prepared for the EU summit on refugee which will take place on March 7.

Alternate Minister for Migration Yannis Mouzalas estimated that the refugees and immigrants trapped in Greece will remain in the country, while the refugee crisis will last 2-3 years.

The UN Refugee Agency has warned of an imminent humanitarian crisis in Europe, largely of Europe's own making, after the number of migrants and refugees stranded in Greece built up rapidly over the past weeks.

The preparation of European Union and UN to address a possible humanitarian crisis, as well as the fact that FYROM has essentially closed its border with Greece confirm that thousands of refugees and immigrants are officially trapped in Greece.

Greece is paralyzed as thousands of refugees and immigrants continue arriving and FYROM’s borders are essentially closed since yesterday authorities of the neighboring country allowed only 300 people to pass through.

Alternate Minister of Migration Yannis Mouzalas revealed on Sunday morning that the Greek government submitted an emergency plan to the European Union to deal with the refugee flow.