Monday 29 February 2016

Europe's migrant crisis reaches breaking point after 'battering ram' border clash


EUROPE’S migrant crisis spiralled out of control yesterday as refugees used a battering ram to try to cross a border.

migrants clashing with police in Greece
        BATTLE: Hundreds of migrants clashed with police on the Greece Macedonia border
Hundreds used a giant steel pole to crash through a wire fence in a desperate attempt to get into Macedonia.
Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades after the barrier was breached near Idomeni on the Greek border.
About 7,000 are currently camping in squalid conditions as they try to head north through Europe and claim asylum.
migrants fighting police
        HORROR: The scene turned ugly as the two groups traded blows with stones and tear gas 
    canisters
Scenes turned ugly as migrants threw stones at police as they tried to breach the 20ft metal fence.
A migrant sits on the fence waiting to get in
        SCALE: About 7,000 migrants are currently camping in squalid conditions on the Greek 
    border
Women and children were almost trampled amid the chaos.
The migrants from Syria and Iraq chanted “Open the border” and “We want to go to Serbia” as officials sent reinforcements.
A police spokesman said they had opened gates to 50 people.
Nidal Jojack, 45, who has been camping in the slums, said some were starving.
migrants using a battering ram
        FINAL PUSH: The migrants use the steel battering ram to break down the border fence
She said: “The borders are effectively closed, it’s a huge problem. To get food, we have to wait in very long queues.”
Authorities fear huge numbers will soon be free to cross Europe and settle in countries like the UK.
In France, migrants set tents on fire and hurled missiles at police as bulldozers moved in to flatten the notorious Jungle camp.
Calais resembled a war zone as riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at activists who refused to budge from the shanty town.

No comments:

Post a Comment