Police abandon the tear gas as migrants are finally told: ‘Welcome to Macedonia’

Hundreds of migrants crossed unhindered from Greece into Macedonia on Sunday after overwhelmed security forces appeared to abandon efforts to stop them. Riot police remained but did little to slow the passage of a steady stream of migrants, many of them refugees from the Syrian war and other conflicts in the Middle East. The same police had used tear gas and stun grenades to drive back crowds but were overwhelmed on Saturday as several thousand people tore through police lines or ran through nearby empty fields. Extra trains, and buses have now arrived from across the country to take the migrants swiftly north to Serbia and the next step of a long journey towards European Union countries. “I watched the news on TV and I was astonished. I thought I would face the same when I arrive here. But it was very peaceful,” said Abdullah Bilal, 41, from the devastated Syrian city of Aleppo.

The Macedonian police told us 'Welcome to Macedonia; trains and buses are waiting for you.’“

Migrant Abdullah Bilal

Tensions have been rising on the border as the migrants headed into Macedonia from Greece but were often left sleeping in the open as they waited to cross. However, the backlog created in Macedonia, which faces criticism from aid agencies for not expanding capacity to receive and process the migrants, has now reached Serbia, straining the country’s own ad hoc reception centers. "Last night after midnight the first group of 200 people crossed the border,” said a Serbian government official who declined to be named. "So far we have more than 5,000 new arrivals. This is the biggest number in one day so far. They are waiting in long lines as we process them.“

I passed one step but it is a long road to my destination. With Allah’s help I will go to Germany

MIgrant Mohannad Albayati, from Damascus

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