The situation at the border crossings Gevgelija and Kumanovo for the period: 27.06.2016 – 03.07.2016
The weekly report on the situation at the border crossings Gevgelija and Kumanovo includes the following topics: Available facilities and conditions at the camp and Institutional treatment.
Gevgelija
Available facilities and conditions
The total number of refugees in the camp is 133 and remains unchanged since last week.
Air conditioning has been set up in the individual cabins in the camp where there was no cooling previously.
A paved road is being set up in the inside of the entire camp.
On the 01.07.2016, representatives of the Ombudsman paid a visit to the camp.
Institutional treatment
A six-member family gave up on their asylum request, allegedly due to the inadequate healthcare and protection provided to two of their four children who have serious visual impairments.
Refugees caught up on illegal roads are sporadically brought to the camp. Thus, a total of 82 refugees were brought to the reception tent in the course of this week, and were soon after transported back to Greece. The groups consisted of refugees of various origins, notably from Syria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Morocco.
Kumanovo
Available facilities and conditions
The number of refugees at the start of the week amounted to 95, but towards the end of the week it dropped to 76 refugees. All the remaining refugees in the camp are from Syria.
Institutional treatment
Refugees originating from various countries keep coming to the camp, and after a short stay they continue on their way. In the course of the week three refugees from Algeria arrived, who, after they were provided with humanitarian aid, were told by the competent institutions to leave the camp.
The situation at the shelter centers in the Republic of Macedonia
38 people were accommodated in the Shelter Center for Foreigners in Gazi Baba in the course of the past week, while the Shelter Center for Asylum Seekers in Vizbegovo accommodates 25 refugees. The Safe House where vulnerable groups are accommodated, i.e. women and (unaccompanied) children, shelters 11 refugees at present.
Irregular Migration
In the course of the week, the Ministry of Internal Affairs registered a single criminal-legal event related to migrant smuggling. During the incident, one of the two vehicles which were suspected of transporting migrants was not caught at all, while the driver of the other vehicle managed to flee and was not apprehended by the police. In the vehicle that stopped 11 refugees, whose origin has not been stated, were caught, and after an informative talk, they were transferred to the shelter centers in Skopje and the transit center in Gevgelija.
This report is made possible by the generous support of the Foundation Open Society Institute (FOSI) within the project „Improvement of the rights protection for migrants and asylum seekers in the Republic of Macedonia“. The contents are the responsibility of the Helsinki Committee for Human rights of the Republic of Macedonia and do not necessarily reflect the views of FOSI.