Around a hundred of migrants have managed to escape from Greek police during the clearing operation of the makeshift reception camp that was set up in the vicinity of the Greek border village of Idomeni, Telegraf.mk has learnt.
According to the news portal, Macedonian Army patrols have spotted several groups of refugees attempting to enter Macedonia, but they were prevented from their intentions and returned immediately to Greek territory.
The attempts for illegal crossings have been noted west from the section where the barbed wire fence of the borderline ends. The refugees try to escape into Macedonia during the night hours, and then to arrive, as fast as they can, to the Serbian border. Those who make these attempts are mainly men from Syria and Iraq, aged around 30, which only carry backpacks and some food.
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Humanitarian activists from Macedonia say the Greek volunteers, but the volunteers of other countries as well, have helped the refugees who were staying at the Idomeni camp, immediately before the police clearing operation was launched.
Part of the refugees first found shelter in the Idomeni village, using old and deserted houses and shags, but when they were discovered by the locals, and fearing they could be handed over to the police, they have left the village and hid in the nearby hills.
The refugees find it difficult to believe that the Balkan route has been closed and that they can no longer use it to continue their journey to the more prosperous western European countries.
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For two ongoing weeks, the Greek police has been clearing out the Idomeni camp that once housed more than 10,000 refugees. The camp's dismantling is coming to its end, but there are still over 2,000 people there. The refugees are taken by daily buses to the newly set up official camps in Polykastro, Thessaloniki and Athens.