At least 22,000 refugees have been stranded in Greece in the past week, after border restrictions were made between it and its neighbour Macedonia.
At the Idomeni camp on Greece's northern border, the main transit point for refugees travelling towards western Europe, there are close to 10,000 people who are stuck in the small transit camp designed to hold 2,500. This comes after EU members Slovenia and Croatia, as well as Serbia and Macedonia stated that they are limiting the number of refugees crossing the border each day to a mere 580. Those who have been let through the border are now in Macedonian-Greek border in Gevgelija, Macedonia.
Stranded refugees try to break through a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of IdomeniAlexandros Avramidis/ Reuters
A crush had developed along the frontier after rumours spread that Macedonian authorities had opened the border after several hours of it remaining sealed shut. This resulted in crowds of people gathering at the razor wire fence, who proceeded to use a heavy metal pole to bring down a gate by digging beneath the barrier and using force to push it up and out. Some people then tore down the gate and moved onto a railway line where they sat, refusing to move as they demanded to cross into the country. Police have since taken to extremes in order to disperse the refugees, many of whom are young children, by firing tear gas into the crowds, resulting in many collapsing due to the fumes.
Syrian refugees cry as they gather at the checkpoint and wait for the opening of the border to cross into Macedonia, at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPStranded refugees try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of IdomeniAlexandros Avramidis/ ReutersStranded refugees flee tear gas fire by the Macedonian police, after trying to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near IdomeniAlexandros Avramidis/ ReutersA refugee and his daughter react from tear gas fired by the Macedonian police at stranded refugees who tried to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian borderAlexandros Avramidis/ ReutersA boy reacts from tear gas fired by the Macedonian police at stranded refugees who tried to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of IdomeniAlexandros Avramidis/ ReutersMacedonian riot police officers stand next to part of the border fence brought down by protesting stranded refugees, during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of IdomeniAlexandros Avramidis/ ReutersChildren, behind a fence, wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border along with other Syrian and Iraquis refugees near the village of IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPA Syrian refugee leans against the fence as she waits for the opening of the border to cross into Macedonia, at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPRefugees wait for a train inside a camp after crossing the Macedonian-Greek border in Gevgelija, MacedoniaMarko Djurica/ ReutersA child sits on a bed inside a camp after crossing the Macedonian-Greek border in Gevgelija, MacedoniaMarko Djurica/ Reuters
17-year-old Zhino Hasan has been waiting outside the closed Idomeni border gate, hoping that Macedonia would allow her and her family to resume their north-ward trek through the Balkans into Germany. Zhino is wheel-chair bound and her father, Sarkawt, wheeled her to the border gates at daybreak on 26 February, hoping to get a head start in the queue for whenever the border that lies in the small community of Idomeni reopens.
More than one million refugees have passed through the camp in the previous 12 months, travelling from Turkey to Germany and other western European countries, where they hoped to secure asylum.
Zhino Hasan is given water by her father in front of the closed Idomeni border gateYannis Behrakis/ ReutersZhino Hasan is seen in front of the closed Idomeni border gateYannis Behrakis/ ReutersDisabled Syrians rest at the border check point as they wait for the Greek-Macedonian borders to openLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPSyrian and Iraqi refugees trapped at the Greek-Macedonian borders demonstrate shouting 'open the border' as they block the railway tracksLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPA refugee child looks on as refugees and migrants stand at the checkpoint and wait for the opening of the border to cross into Macedonia, at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPSyrian and Iraqi refugees trapped at Idomeni at the Greek-Macedonian border protest demanding the opening of the borderLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPRefugees sleep next to the fence at the Greek-Macedonian border near IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPSyrian and Iraqi migrants trapped at the Greek-Macedonian borders demonstrate and shout 'open the border', as they block rail tracksLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPSyrian and Iraqi refugees trapped at the Greek-Macedonian borders stop an arriving train during their protest demanding the opening of the bordersLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPSyrian and Iraqi refugees trapped at the Greek-Macedonian borders lie on the rail tracks leading to Macedonia during their protest demanding the opening of the bordersLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPA boy carries blankets on his head after crossing the Macedonian-Greek border in Gevgelija, MacedoniaMarko Djurica/ Reuters:A Syrian refugee boy flashes the victory sign while queuing at a clothing distribution point along the Greek-Macedonian borderLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPRefugees gather at the checkpoint and wait for the opening of the border to cross into Macedonia, at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPRefugees and migrants gather wait for the opening of the border to cross into Macedonia, at the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPA Syrian family warm around a bonfire as they wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPRefugees queue for food at an improvised refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFPA child cries in queue for food at the overcrowded camp at the Greek-Macedonian borders near IdomeniLouisa Gouliamaki/ AFP
