The latest on the migrant crisis.
“The danger that migrants blocked at the Macedonian-Greek border could begin turning to other routes is real”, Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojić said yesterday, adding that the number of migrants without international protection has increased from 1.6 percent at the beginning of the crisis to 6.3 percent of all migrants, reports Index.hr, Vecernji List and Jutarnji List on December 1, 2015.
According to him, that is a problem which concerns not only Croatia, but all members of the EU. There is a possibility that they could start turning to routes through Bosnia and Herzegovina or Bulgaria. “I expect that the problem will be solved at EU level by the end of this week. If we decide to continue to allow free passage only to Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans, we could be in conflict with international conventions which stipulate that everyone has the right to international protection and that you cannot profile migrants”, Ostojić added.
In the last two days, there has been a slight increase in the influx of refugees. From midnight to 9 pm on Monday, 4,009 refugees entered Croatia. There were 750 refugees accommodated at the temporary reception centre in Slavonski Brod. Since the beginning of the migration crisis, 458,798 migrants and refugees have passed through Croatia.
The minister said he did not know when the negotiated agreement between the EU and Turkey will be implemented. Turkey should receive from the EU three billion euros to stop the flow of refugees. However, he added that Croatia had long warned that the influx can only be stopped in hotspots and refugee camps in Turkey. Asked what will happen with the Croatian financial contribution of 7.4 million euros, Ostojić replied that this was a German proposal based on the usual criteria of distribution of financial obligations. “The Government will discuss the possible financial commitment. However, such decision cannot be made prior to forming the new government”, Ostojić concluded.
In northwest Turkey, Turkish police have arrested about 1,300 asylum seekers and migrants who were about to cross the border into Greece, reported the Turkish state media. Around 750 migrants were stopped in a raid before dawn in Ayvacik, the main transport point to the Greek island of Lesbos. By noon, the police have arrested additional 550 people, according to Anatolia news agency.
It was the first major action after the agreement between the EU and Turkey. Turkish authorities have detained mostly Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians and Afghans, as well as three human traffickers. All migrants were sent to a repatriation centre. Currently, in Turkey there are more than 2 million refugees from Syria and thousands of refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Macedonia has completed the construction of the fence at the Gevgelija border crossing with Greece in order to prevent the illegal entry of refugees and migrants. According to the Tanjug news agency, members of the Macedonian Army have built a two and a half metres tall metal barrier which is three kilometres long. The fence has been put up only at the Gevgelija border crossing, but Macedonian officials did not rule out the possibility that they would build fences at other locations on the border with Greece.
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