Protests at Idomeni as Greece plans to relocate stranded refugees

[rooster59]

Protests at Idomeni as Greece plans to relocate stranded refugees

Compared to the chaotic scenes Idomeni has witnessed recently, one operation to distribute items to refugees on Saturday unfolded in a relatively orderly manner.

But some people, desperate for supplies, pushed their way into a tent where food and shoes were being handed out.

Humanitarian agencies and volunteers are struggling to cope at the overcrowded refugee camp on Greece’s northern border – where thousands have been prevented from travelling north into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

“Some people get four, five shoes and another one, they don’t get nothing. And always, always like this happen fight, the people fight for the shoes. So always they give everything, food, like this, with (a) fight,” said Sabah, an Iraqi refugee holding a young child in his arms.

The Greek government has been distributing leaflets written in foreign languages such as Arabic, telling migrants and refugees that the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is closed – and that food and medical services await them elsewhere. It asks them to cooperate with the police.

The authorities hope to relocate most of the estimated 14,000 stranded people in the coming weeks. But the operation looks like it may run into trouble.

Many refugees intent on heading north staged a protest at the closed frontier by blocking a railway line between the two countries on Saturday.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-03-13

[sweatalot]

Relocation is the what needs to be done

[boomerangutang]

Relocation is the what needs to be done

...relocation to where? There's misery in every direction.

The biggest political issue of the latter 21st century will be how to lessen overpopulation. It's not discussed now, because it's too much of a hot potato. Yet, it's the core cause of myriad problems, including migrant issues. Not only Europe and the N.America, but also SE Asia and elsewhere.

Birth control should be freely available to everyone over the age of 16. clinical tube-tying operations should be a free option for every man and woman over the age of 20 - subject to counseling. Those two policies would lessen runaway population growth, though of course much more needs to be done. It's like there's an ongoing war between humans and the environment, and our one species is winning every battle.

Regardless of whether overpopulation is addressed by civil means (volunteer sterilizations, for example) it will continue to be affected by wars, disease, poisonings, and natural disasters (floods, droughts, typhoons, etc).

[F4UCorsair]

Who the f*** do these country shopping jerks think they are?

Australia has been lucky in that they have no land borders, and had had a strong conservative government under Howard to stem the flow. Even the idiots of the left have fallen in line, and that's a major step, considering the gross stupidity on the left of politics!!

Any that did/do reach Australia won't be resettled there. The reason they've arrived by people smuggling boats, way more expensive than flying, is because they can throw their papers overboard. If the arrive by air there is a paper trail and their identities, and origins, are known.

Of course the greater problems need addressing, uncontrolled breeding in underdeveloped countries, and despots ruling with an iron fist, causing people to look elsewhere.

Then there are the economic refugees, country shoppers, etc., further problems.

Edited March 13, 2016 by F4UCorsair

[smudger1951]

Country shoppers indeed who also want the welfare benefits. The huge influx of freeloaders will break the European economies and the cultural enrichment will destroy us.

[Briggsy]

You see how difficult it is to move a few thousand from a place they don't want to be (an impromptu camp in Greece).

Think how utterly impossible it will be to remove failed asylum seekers from Germany and Sweden whose numbers will run into six figures. Ain't gonna happen.

You really have to get tough and that would mean very tough. And then as a government, you would be pilloried in the media which has been infiltrated by "help the migrant" groups. Or you stop the benefits, the handouts, the free housing and hope they move on of their own accord. But then you will be pilloried in the media by the "help-the-migrants" groups.

[phantomfiddler]

Country shoppers indeed who also want the welfare benefits. The huge influx of freeloaders will break the European economies and the cultural enrichment will destroy us.

Enrichment ?

[gandalf12]

Send them home. Most are economic migrants and the rest have traveled through turkey which is safe to get to Greece. Not content with that they want to move throughout Europe. Can not do it

[Zyxel]

US and UK should take all the refugees from Irak and Syria or at least pay for their relocation since the creation of ISIS is a direct consequence of that stupid war in Irak initiated by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Blair and the messy occupation of Irak which followed for 10 years. France bears also some responsibility for helping to take down Gaddafi and leaving the country in chaos from where most of the refugees cross the Mediterranean going to Italy and Greece, countries which have no responsibility for what is happening.

[ggt]

They could always ask Donald Trump what he would do...