Stranded migrants sew mouths shut in protest against Balkan border controls

Photo Credit: Independent.co.uk

Seven men have sewed their mouths shut and more than a thousand Iranians, Moroccans and Pakistanis have blocked a train line on the Greek-Macedonian border, in protest against a
recent decision by some Balkan countries to block certain nationalities from heading towards northern Europe, reports theguardian

For the first time since hundreds of thousands of people began marching through the Balkans earlier this year, the Macedonian government began filtering them last week on the basis of their perceived need, and is now preventing access for those not from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The move has led to fears of a migrant logjam in Greece and sparked fury among those trapped on the border.


Many chanted in protest on Monday against the decision and tried to block the path of those allowed to cross the border. Pakistanis held posters highlighting the human rights violations in their country, noting in particular recent bloodshed in Peshawar. Seven men also stitched their mouths shut with string and twine after being trapped on the border for up to six days. Most of the seven are believed to be from Iran, but aid workers at the site said it was hard to discern their exact circumstances and motivations.

Photo Credit: Independent.co.uk

“It’s difficult to communicate with them,” said Gemma Gillie, a representative of Médecins Sans Frontières who witnessed the scene at the border on Monday. “But they’ve been protesting silently and nothing’s happened – so that’s why they’re doing this.”

Photo Credit: Independent.co.uk

According to the UN refugee agency, roughly one in 10 people walking through the Balkans are not Syrian, Afghan or Iraqi. Macedonia no longer wants to give them safe passage since it believes their lives are not in danger and fearsthey may end up stuck on Macedonian soil if countries further to the north begin to filter people in a similar way. In a test case last Wednesday, Slovenia tried to return more than a hundred Moroccans to Croatia, prompting Macedonia to introduce its own restrictions.

Source: theguardian