(ANSA) - BELGRADE - The migrant emergency in the Balkans has
shifted to Serbia, where hundreds are arriving every day after
Macedonia decided not to block the border with Greece, resulting
in an improvement of the situation along the Gevgelija border.
Over 23,000 migrants have arrived over the past two weeks and
almost 90,000 since the beginning of the year. Over the past
weekend, some 10,000 migrants have crossed into Serbia's
southern Presevo region, which has an Albanian Muslim-majority
population.
Among them are many women and children, with entire families
willing to walk hundreds of kilometers to flee the war and
desolation of their home countries. On Sunday night alone, 70
buses crammed with migrants arrived carrying mostly refugees
from the war zones of Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. There are
also some Pakistani, Sri Lankan and African migrants arriving.
The number is large for a country with only 7.5 million
inhabitants that has not yet become an EU member and with very
limited funds. Nevertheless, Serbia for the moment seems to be
responding in a composed manner to the humanitarian emergency.
Four migrant reception centers have been set up: two in the
south, in Presevo and Miratovac, and two in the north along the
country's borders with Hungary in Kanidjia and Subotica.
Hungary is the country where almost all of the refugees plan
to go, to then move on towards Austria, Germany, Sweden, France
and other northern European countries. However, to get into the
country it is necessary to get over a four-meter-high metallic
and barbed wire fence that the conservative government under
Viktor Orban built as a 'defensive' measure along the entire
175-kilometer border with Serbia.
The fence, which was initially to have been completed in
November, was sped up and will be finished by the end of August.
Once in Serbia, refugees and migrants can request asylum, but
most of them get a 72-hour temporary stay permit to be able to
cross Serbian territory and reach Hungary. (ANSA).
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