Trapped
Channel: Nikos Pilos
Date: 30/06/2016

“Trapped”
Macedonia has constructed a barbed wired fence border in November 2015, to deter people from entering the country illegally via Greece. Under the current regulation, only the immigrants from Syria and Iraq are allowed to cross into the Balkan country.  In February 2016, Macedonia erected a second fence becoming the 12th country—along with Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Estonia, Ukraine, Spain and Turkey—in the European continent to fortify its border joining Greece. As Europe seals its borders by building razor-wire fences to block the influx of migrants, xenophobia and nationalism poisons the open borders policy and the “democratic” values of Europe.
However, there is no relief for migrants even when they survive the deadly journey to Europe. They still risk beatings and tear gas filled clashes—usually due to delays in the registration process—from border control law enforcement during their long arduous journey by foot under extreme weather conditions to reach northern Europe. Now, they can not travel beyond Greece, as border control has tightened up in fear of migrant invasion and terrorism. They are trapped.