At the reception center in Tabanovce there are currently about 500 migrants, which is a lot less than before a month and a half ago when there were over a 1,000 temporary residents at this center.
According to Goran Stojanovski, manager of the reception center, a good deal of the migrants have returned to the 'Vinojug' camp near Gevgelija. A few of them, with mediation from the International Organization for migration (IOM), accepted to go back to their countries, but most of them left for Serbia.
"Ever since they came, it was clear that they do not want to stay in Macedonia. If they wanted to, they would have applied for asylum. They head north by roads only known by them. We cannot interfere or influence them. Our obligation is to treat them humanely while they reside here and that is what we do", Stojanovski said.
There are currently only families with children residing at Tabanovce. Everyone that had the chance, left for Serbia by using the route established by migrants after they realized that Serbia will not open its borders and allow them to enter legally. According to sources from humanitarian organizations that work with migrants, they first let through about 10 migrants which test the terrain of the local smugglers and they establish a channel, which is later used by the rest of the migrants.
The number of migrants at the Reception Center in Gevgelija is diminishing. About a 100 migrants are accommodated there at the moment. Plus, there are around 153 migrants in the outer tent which managed to illegally cross the border, but after a check by the Ministry of Interior they were returned in Idomeni camp.
The inflow of migrants coming to Greece has also diminished. In the last 24 hours, there were only 55 new migrant arrivals. According to data, Greece is currently hosting around 53,731 migrants and asylum seekers.