Many of those that have managed to force their way through police and military lines are escaping Syria but others have come from relatively stable countries such as Pakistan and are simply taking advantage of the opportunity to get into Europe.
The Macedonian army attempted to allow a group of 600 people with small children across the border to catch a train to Serbia where they would then go on to Hungary before making their way to France, Germany and eventually the UK. But while they tried to give safe passage to those high risk illegal immigrants, thousands of others stormed the border.
Since the EU stopped the practice of intercepting boats carrying illegal immigrants and sending them back to where they started off, the number of illegal immigrants coming to Europe has exploded as economic migrants take advantage of the relaxing of border controls and mingle with asylum seekers looking for safety.
Under international law, asylum seekers are required to claim asylum in the first safe country they enter. With the exception of those entering Europe from the volatile north African coast, every asylum seeker is illegally and should be sent back to the first safe country they entered but EU rules don't allow member states to deport illegal asylum seekers to other EU member states because that undermines the EU pretending to be a single country.
The Macedonian government is blaming the Greek government for ferrying thousands of illegal immigrants from the islands onto the mainland.
wonkotsane is an author at Bloggers4UKIP.
Posts
