10,000 migrants stranded at Greece-Macedonia border

Up to 10,000 refugees and other migrants are camped on
Greece's northern border with Macedonia, waiting for
permission to continue their long trek north to seek asylum in
wealthier European countries.

Border officials have not allowed anybody to pass for 24
hours, citing a similar policy by Serbia.
Greek police estimate up to 10,000 people - mostly Syrian and
Iraqi refugees - are stuck at the country's Idomeni border in
deteriorating conditions.
Hundreds of tents filled the fields stretching towards the
border fence, which is patrolled on the Macedonian side by
scores of police.
During the day on Monday, Macedonia let in only 30
refugees.
The Idomeni crossing has become a key flashpoint in Europe's
migration crisis.
Several European nations, led by Austria, have imposed
refugee caps and border restrictions over the past 10 days,
creating a huge backlog of migrants in Greece.
These unilateral actions have infuriated Greece and threaten to
damage the unity of the 28-nation European Union.
Some migrants have been waiting at Idomeni for more than a
week. The camp is full and hundreds more people arrive
daily.
Jasmin Rexhepi, head of the aid group Legis which has
volunteers working in Macedonia on its borders with Greece
and Serbia, said Macedonian authorities were restricting the
numbers of migrants they let through because Serbia only
allowed 30 people to cross their border on Monday from a
train carrying 410 people. He said Macedonia was waiting for
Serbia to open that border.
About 70 people including children, who Macedonia says are
mostly from Pakistan, have been stuck on the Macedonian
side of the border between two razor-wire fences for three
days. #
Mr Rexhepi said Macedonian authorities had been trying to
send them back to Greece because they had crossed the border
illegally, but Greece was refusing to take them back.
"We are providing food, water, sleeping bags and raincoats
for this group," Mr Rexhepi said.
On the Greek side, another group of 150 people who have
been told it is their turn to enter Macedonia have spent days in
a large tent in front of the crossing.
"I've been at Idomeni for 10 days and it's the fourth day I've
been waiting to cross over," said Hassan Rasheed, 27, from
Iraq. "Conditions are very bad. There are many ill children
who are coughing, and we spent the night in this tent under
heavy rain."
Macedonia closed its border following clashes on Monday
when hundreds of migrants tried to force their way into the
country. Police responded with tear gas and stun grenades,
driving the refugees back.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the build-up of
migrants at the Greek-Macedonian border is not comparable
to the situation last September, when she agreed to let in
thousands of people who had piled up in Hungary.