FYROM sending migrants who breached border back to Greece, as press claims arrests

Police in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are taking steps to return to Greece a group of migrants who evaded a border fence and crossed in to FYROM territory on Monday, a police spokeswoman said.

“We are taking measures to return the group to Greece,” the police spokeswoman said. “Police and army have heightened security on the border at critical points.”

The spokeswoman said she believed “several hundred” migrants had crossed, lower than an estimate of 2,000 made by a Reuters photographer.

The Greek ANA-MPA news agency, meanwhile, reported that over 30 photojournalists documenting the migrants’ journey were remanded in custody by FYROM police.

“We suddenly heard voices and were surrounded by FYROM military,” ANA-MPA photojournalist Yiannis Kolesidis was quoted as saying.

He added that an estimated 1,000 refugees and migrants crossed a cold river with the held of ropes into FYROM territory, while more groups were seen arriving at the location, which it not fenced.

[Reuters/ANA-MPA]