Macedonian border barrier

The Macedonian Army has begun erecting a wire fence along the country's border with Greece to control a wave of migrants trying to cross, local TV channel Telma reported on Saturday.

The fence is being built in the areas where 'economic migrants' have been stopped with Macedonia denying them entry, Telma said.

Migrants tried on Thursday to break into Macedonia from Greece, defying the tougher border restrictions imposed by the Macedonian authorities last week, newswires reported.

A surge of migrants entered Macedonia at the weekend, with 10,000 crossing into the small Balkan country in 24 hours, police said on Oct. 19. 

Two trains have left for Serbia before noon as Macedonian police are now letting through bigger groups of people. Another 1000 remain stranded in no man's land between Greece and Macedonia, since Macedonia declared crisis and deployed troops at the border on Thursday.

The European Commission said on Friday it is extending close to EUR 91,000 in humanitarian funding to Macedonia to help tackle a migrant influx.

The funding that will cover basic needs such as food, water, hygiene kits and primary health care services will be provided to Macedonia's Red Cross Society to help the organization assist some 4,600 people over the next three months.