Macedonia

Authorities in Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia said they are on heightened alert about possible militants concealing themselves among the refugees using the Balkan route to reach Western Europe after unconfirmed reports that one of the Paris attack suspects passed through the region.

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are preparing to build a wire fence along sections of the country’s borders so as to ensure a slower passage of migrants from FYROM to western Europe. FYROM President Gjorge Ivanov ordered the building of barricades and fences “in places where needed”.

One of the suspected Paris attackers had crossed into Serbia from Macedonia on October 7 seeking asylum, Tanjug reported on Sunday.

Macedonia will start immediate preparations for building a wire fence along sectors of the country's borders to respond to a potential slowdown in the passage of migrants from Macedonia to western Europe, MIA news agency reported on Sunday.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE This is the terrorist who passed through Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Austria? TO KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE OF PARIS

One of eight terrorists responsible for the Paris attacks on Friday night travelled with Syrian passport among other refugees through the Balkans migrant route, Blic.rs reports.

Over 8,000 migrants arrived in Presevo reception center in southern Serbia from Miratovac, on the border with Macedonia, over 24 hours.

This is according to coordinator of the Presevo Youth Office Valjon Arifi, who spoke late on Wednesday.

Frontex has reported a total of 1.2 million illegal border crossings at the EU's external borders in the first ten months of this year, which is four times the 282 000 recorded for the whole of 2014.

More than 540 000 migrants have arrived on the Greek islands between January and October, which was 13 times more than in the same period last year.

The decision of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to rename the archeological museum of Skopje to “Alexander the Macedon” museum has angered Greek officials who are set to complain to the EU and UN. FYROM had made the move just two days after the first round of talks on confidence-building measures, thus undermining negotiations.

The European Commission may condition its recommendation for opening accession talks with Macedonia on compliance with the EU-brokered crisis deal reached this summer, diplomats say.

"This is one, very probable, option being considered in order to keep the pressure on Macedonia leaders to deliver on their promises," a source from the EU delegation to Skopje told BIRN.

The EU need to be more proactive in solving the crisis in Macedonia and abandon its "technocratic approach", speakers told a conference called "The potential internal instability in the Republic of Macedonia" on Wednesday in Belgrade.