Thousands of refugees and migrants are stranded across Greece after the closing of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia border.
On Wednesday morning, 1,700 refugees from the islands close to Turkey arrived at the Piraeus Port. However, authorities were not able to transfer them to northern Greece to cross the FYROM border on their journey to northern Europe.
Wednesday’s arrivals will have to stay in Athens temporarily before they are transferred to Greece’s northern border. Since the refugee and migrant reception centers at Elliniko and Schisto respectively are full, unable to accommodate more people, the new arrivals moved to Victoria Square in central Athens where other stranded refugees are camping.
Several refugees and migrants flee after arriving in Athens with the purpose of finding illegal ways to leave the country.
Meanwhile, the Greek police have stopped several buses carrying refugees and migrants headed to the Greece-FYROM border along the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway. Many people are waiting at parking lots, gas stations or temporary municipal hospitality places. Several migrants stranded in Kozani refused to return to Athens, determined to find ways to reach the northern border.
About 500 refugees started the long journey from Athens to the FYROM border on foot. About 3,000 migrants and refugees are trapped at the Idomeni neutral zone between Greece and FYROM.
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