Macedonia: State of emergency on Greek, Serbian borders

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina

The government of Macedonia has declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the increased flow of migrants and refugees on its border with Greece and Serbia, many of them from the Middle East, pouring in.

Macedonian Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski said on Thursday in a press conference that the government declared a state of emergency on the country's southern and northern borders, adding that this opened way for the military to help manage the unprecedented flow of migrants and refugees.

"We expect that the involvement of the Army will bring two desired effects -- it will increase the level of security among our citizens in the two regions, and will allow for a more comprehensive approach toward the people who are expressing their interest in applying for asylum. The decision was made in accordance with our capabilities, and the recommendations from the conventions which the Republic of Macedonia is a signatory to, and we intend to follow them," Kotevski said.

According to the Interior Ministry, in the past 24 hours, 1,327 foreigners sought to apply for asylum, which allows them to reside in Macedonia for three days. Most of them use that time to travel to the Serbian border. The overwhelming majority of these refugees were Syrians -- 1,004.

In the past two months, the number stood at 41,414 foreigners, of which 33,461 were Syrians, followed by Afghanis, Iraqis, and Pakistanis.