Slovenia, Serbia ‘seal’ their borders – 13,000 desperate refugees in Idomeni

More than 13,000 refugees and immigrants are stuck in Idomeni, while Greece-FYROM buffer zone remains closed and no one knows when and under what conditions FYROM authorities will allow refugees to cross the border.

At the same time, Slovenia and Serbia decided to ‘seal’ their borders setting new restrictions. According to information, only those who want to stay in the country will be allowed to enter Slovenia and Serbia, while a small number of immigrants will be allowed to cross the border for “humanitarian reasons”.

The Slovenian Interior Ministry announced that it will limit the number of immigrants allowed to enter the country and will accept only those who intend to seek asylum in Slovenia, and others, for “humanitarian reasons”.

The statement clarifies that accepting migrants for humanitarian reasons will be considered for each case individually.

Thousands of stranded people in Idomeni were forced to go on hunger strike, according to Médecins Sans Frontières. Many people suffer also from panic attack since they have been waiting for days and continue to see the borders closed. People crying and shouting hysterically is an everyday phenomenon in Idomeni which shows the extent of their desperation.

At the same time people there have to face the lack of food, while the unhygienic conditions put their health in risk, especially for young children and pregnant women. Every day, ill infants and children are transferred to the nearby hospital, while many pregnant women had miscarriages due to the stress, malnutrition and the bad living conditions. Moreover, doctors are warning of the risk of a disease outbreak.