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Greek police, refugees clash near Macedonia border

Friday, 08 April 2016 12:11 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 08 April 2016 12:57 AM ]

Macedonian police hit a refugee trying to push a fence at the Greek-Macedonian border during a protest held by the refugees to call for the re-opening of the borders at their makeshift camp in the border village of Idomeni in Greece on April 7, 2016. ©AFP

The Greek police have clashed with refugees protesting the closure of a railway station in a village close to the border with Macedonia.

On Thursday, the police scuffled with the refugees camping on a road close to the border in the Greek village of Idomeni as they were trying to stop passing vehicles.

Scores of the refugees tried to force their way into a no-go area along the railway tracks, break through a police line, and take down a border fence.

A boy faces police forces during a protest held by refugees to call for the re-opening of the Greek-Macedonian border at their makeshift camp in the border village of Idomeni in Greece on April 7, 2016. ©AFP

The station, which has been used by thousands of the refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, serves to take them to the Balkan Peninsula, from which they would try to head to Western Europe.

Its closure has left around 12,000 refugees stranded in Idomeni. There are a total of over 51,000 refugees currently trying to make farther than Greece through the continent.

Europe is facing its worst refugee crisis since World War II, which saw more than a million asylum seekers flooding the continent last year.

Men gesture near a line of Greek police officers while others block the road. (AFP photo)

The European Union and Turkey hurried through a deal last month, under which Ankara agreed to take back all the refugees — including the Syrians — who had used its territory to illegally reach Greece.

The United Nations human rights chief has voiced concern about the agreement, saying it could lead to the “collective expulsions” of people fleeing war.

People try to grab clothes at their makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border village of Idomeni. (AFP photo)

"We protest against deportation. We risked our lives to get here by sea. Returning to Turkey means we will lose everything and be facing many security problems," said Ahmed, a Syrian refugee, who was protesting in the Greek village.

The deportations have, however, been suspended, a day after the first batch of people was sent back from the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios.

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