Macedonia

The EU must help Macedonia bolster security at its border with Greece in order to keep the Western Balkans route shut to migrants, Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil has said.

Bulgarian customs officers have thwarted an attempt of a Serbian citizen to smuggle two kilogrammes of heroin through Gyueshevo checkpoint on the border with Macedonia.

The Serbian citizen was travelling in a Turkish-registered bus from Turkey to Kosovo via Bulgaria and Macedonia, the National Customs Agency said in a statement.

Just a few hours before the EU meeting on refugee issue, the mistaken made by Alternate Minister For Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas who referred to FYROM as ‘Macedonia’ has led to unprecedented developments.

In a closed session on Wednesday, Macedonia's Constitutional Court approved the annulling of a provision in the law which had previously barred the president from pardoning alleged election-riggers. 

The statements of Alternate Minister for Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas who called FYROM ‘Macedonia’ led to political turmoil and intergovernmental crisis.

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

The name of a former German labor minister appears on leaflets containing maps of alternative routes to cross into Macedonia from Greece, media from both countries report.

The refugee crisis on the northern borders between Greece and FYROM is exposing the incompetence of the Greek government on the handling of the matter. The latest developments reveal a new twist on the 700 refugees that had crossed into the territory of FYROM from the Greek side Monday.

Macedonian police are "taking steps" to send hundreds of migrants who on Monday illegally entered the country back to Greece, a police spokesperson has said.

Reuters is reporting that the Interior Ministry said between 600 and 700 refugees had been detained, while Anatolia said that the number was 3,000.

During the last few days we have been flooded with pictures showing the everyday ordeal of almost 15,000 refugees/migrants whose journey towards Europe came to a forced stop on the border of Greece and Macedonia (FYROM).