Refugee crisis: Hundreds protest after Greek-Macedonian border closes to 'economic migrants'
Hundreds of people have demonstrated on the Greece-Macedonia border, calling for the crossing to reopen for all migrants. Moroccans, Algerians, Pakistanis and Iranians could be seen protesting on 30 November, after authorities decided to restrict entrance depending on their country of origin.
Only those fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are being allowed across.
Iman Irawani, an Iranian migrant, said: "There is no hope here, actually, and there is no food, there is no place to stay, it's always cold, even.. And I don't know anything, but it's not gonna be good, it's not seeming good, everything's gone bad".
Crowds could be heard shouting "open border" at the crossing near to Idomeni. The move from Balkan countries to restrict the number of migrants coming into their nations has been condemned by the United Nations, who say it is a violation of international law.
Milan, from Tehran, said: ''Iranians, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somali, are not allowed. Morocco, are not allowed. All people in here, is human, why not allow? All people is human, where is human right? We don't have food, we don't have medicine".
Slovenia was the first country to declare it would only accept refuges fleeing war and that those deemed "economic migrants" would be denied entry. That prompted others on the route – including Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia – to do the same.
As a result, a growing number of people have been left stranded in tents with winter approaching.
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