The situation at the border crossings Gevgelija and Kumanovo for the period: 17.10.2016 – 23.10.2016

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

At the start of the week, the number of refugees in the camp was 116, and by the end of the week it increased to 122.

There have not been any major changes with regards to the available facilities and the conditions in the camp.

In the course of the week, representatives of the Ombudsman paid a visit to the camp.

Institutional treatment

A total of 22 refugees who were caught down illegal roads over the week, were transported to Greek territory.

On 17.10.2016, six refugees residing in the camp, and who have filed asylum requests, voluntarily and at their own initiative, left the camp and were transported to Greek territory. Three refugees from Iraq arrived in the camp on the same day. After they had a talk with the security services, they were “deported” to Greek territory.

One refugee who had been staying in the camp for a longer period of time, after a procedure conducted by the German Embassy, obtained a German visa in order to get united with her husband, who already is in Germany. This is the second registered case of family reunion of refugees residing in the Republic of Macedonia.

On 18.10, in the afternoon hours, 15 refugees were brought in a police vehicle from Sopot, Kumanovo region, among whom 6 were from Syria (two women, two children and two men), seven from Iraq (two children, two women and three men), one man from Libya and one man from Yemen. They were provided with humanitarian and medical aid by the Red Cross, and were profiled by the security services. 10 refugees from this group were transported to Greece, while one five-member family originating from Syria stayed due to the deteriorated health of the mother who is pregnant.

On the next day, 8 refugees originating from Iraq and Pakistan were caught in the vicinity of Gevgelija. They were brought to the camp, whereby they were registered by the security services and their mobile phones were checked.

On 20.10.2016, 6 refugees originating from Afghanistan and Bangladesh were brought to the camp. After they were interviewed by the police, they were transported to Greece on the same day.

The refugees who are asylum-seekers and are staying the camp, are sporadically allowed to go out of the camp accompanied by the Red Cross, several times a week, within a limited timeframe.

Kumanovo

Available facilities and conditions

The number of refugees in the camp fluctuates between 100 and 150, and varies depending on the groups of refugees who arrive or leave the camp. The competent institutions in the camp have at disposal conflicting figures on the number of refugees officially present in the camp.

There are no significant changes in the facilities in the camp, with the exception of the relocation of some of the families from the cabins, in order to accommodate the newly-arriving refugees.

Institutional treatment

The groups of refugees which arrived in the camp the previous week, have been registered and provided with accommodation in the camp.

On 18.10.2016, police officers took one refugee originating from Syria and took him in an unknown direction. On the next day, authorized persons in civilian clothing took two refugees from Sudan and Pakistan from the camp. Later that same day, 9 refugees originating from Pakistan were placed in vehicles by the on-duty police officers, and were afterwards taken in an unknown direction. One refugee from this group managed to escape the police officers and was caught. There is no information as to where these refugees were taken.

On 22.10.2016, two refugees originating from Africa arrived to the camp, but the police did not allow them to get accommodated in the camp, so they only got to briefly stay in order to get humanitarian aid from the Red Cross.

The children accommodated in the camp were taken to a day-trip to the ZOO in Skopje by the SOS Children’s Village.

The situation at the Shelter Centers in the Republic of Macedonia

The number of refugees in the Shelter Centers in the Republic of Macedonia is not available.

Irregular migration

Over the week, the Ministry of Internal Affairs registered a single criminal-legal event related to migrants and irregular migration. On 21.10.2016, on the regional road Star Dojran – Gevgelija, a cargo vehicle was found transporting 11 refugees originating from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The two people operating the vehicle were detained and criminal charges have been filed against them.

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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.