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Thousands of migrants pushed past Macedonian police Monday, entering Serbia in the hope of slowly making their way into western Europe.
Most of those making the long trek are people from war torn Syria, or other conflict areas, who have been forced to leave their homes due to heavy fighting.
The migrants have been entering Macedonia since Greek officials began ferrying thousands of people who arrived on their island shores over the past months to the mainland. When they arrived in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki last week, many of them continued the journey north hoping to reach the European Union.
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Macedonia initially sent extra police to the border region last week to stop any additional migrants from entering the country, saying they had reached their capacity.
However, on Saturday, thousands of determined people stormed past police barricades on foot. Macedonian officials have since opened their border and sent extra buses and trains to the area to carry the migrants across the country, where they continued into Serbia on foot.
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#BBCnews Macedonia isn't that bothered by migrants as they know thier heading for Germany & England. The number could rise to millions
— Malcy Lyndsell (@malcolm2607)
August 24, 2015
State authorities and aid agencies have been pitching tents and scrambling to supply food and water to thousands of people who are traveling through the Western Balkans, most of whom have little food, water or other resources.
The flow of people has been worrying politicians in western Europe, who have so far been unable to develop a coordinated strategy of how to deal with the thousands of people they know are looking for aid, safety and new lives in Europe.
Visiting the Macedonian-Greek border, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said the situation in the Balkans was “dramatic,” reported Reuters.
“We urgently need coordinated action across Europe,” he told ORF radio.
According to reports from the Toronto Star, officials in Hungary have been rushing to build a barbed wire fence along its border with Serbia, in attempts to keep the influx of people from entering.
This is no way to receive a refugee. Macedonia. @SakisMitrolidis pic.twitter.com/T2FM9OxRzH
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth)
August 23, 2015
