Greek minister condemns use of force by FYROM police

Greece’s Citizens’ Protection Minister Nikos Toskas has condemned the use of force by the police of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) against migrants and refugees trying to cross the border between the two countries on Sunday.

“The migrants who were beaten yesterday are the jihadis of tomorrow,” he told Skai TV on Monday.

Dozens of migrants and refugees were wounded on Sunday when FYROM police fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets at crowds on the Greek side of the border near the refugee camp of Idomeni.

Toskas rejected allegations that FYROM police had operated on the Greek side of the border saying that the fence stands two to three meters into FYROM’s side of the frontier.

He also responded to criticism from the neighboring country’s foreign ministry that Greek police had not tried to stop the migrants from scaling the border fence.

“This would have provoked an even greater reaction,” he said.