Refugees Stranded at Border Sew Mouths Shut to Protest Cruel Treatment
Balkan policies banning refugees based on nationality slammed as 'inhumane'
At least seven people sewed their mouths shut and many more blocked trains on the Greece-Macedonia border Monday to protest the intensifying Balkan crackdown and profiling of refugees and asylum seekers that is impacting those fleeing war and poverty from across the globe.
The demonstrations have been ongoing for at least four days and were organized in response to a recent decision by some Balkan countries to block refugees according to nationality in the wake of the November 13th Paris attacks.
Many of those who have bound their lips together are Iranian nationals on hunger strike for the right to seek asylum and refuge in Europe. They protest alongside numerous others--from Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries--who are stranded in the Greek village of Idomeni.
Slovenia announced last week it is barring entry to all refugees except those fleeing Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan--declaring everyone else an "economic migrant" ineligible for admittance. Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia soon after announced they will follow the same policy.
"I cannot go back. I will be hanged," a 34-year-old Iranian man identified as Hamid told Reuters, explaining he wished to travel to "any free country in the world."
In lively protests that continued through Monday, demonstrators chanted, rallied, and laid down on train tracks, with many from Pakistan holding signs illustrating human rights violations in their home country.
"We are also at war you know?" Yianni, a 34-year-old dentist from Cameroon, told IRIN News last week. "We have Boko Haram! I need to continue with my studies and my life."
The decision has been denounced by refugees, rights campaigners, and global bodies. This includes the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, which released a joint statement on Friday declaring that the profiling of refugees according to nationality "is becoming increasingly untenable from every point of view--humanitarian, legal, and also safety related, not least in light of falling temperatures and the risks for children and others with specific needs."
"These measures by States are creating tension at border crossings and a domino effect, leaving in total limbo some refugees and migrants stranded at different border points," the joint statement continued.
"To classify a whole nation as economic migrants is not a principle recognized in international law," Rados Djurovic, director of the Belgrade-based Asylum Protection Center, told a Serbian state television station. "We risk violating human rights and asylum law."
Rights groups have rebuked European states for erecting fences and sealing off borders in the face of the worst crisis of global displacement since World War II. In a report released last week, Amnesty International argued that such policies do not deter those fleeing war and poverty, but merely force them to take more dangerous voyages, placing them at greater risk of death.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
At least seven people sewed their mouths shut and many more blocked trains on the Greece-Macedonia border Monday to protest the intensifying Balkan crackdown and profiling of refugees and asylum seekers that is impacting those fleeing war and poverty from across the globe.
The demonstrations have been ongoing for at least four days and were organized in response to a recent decision by some Balkan countries to block refugees according to nationality in the wake of the November 13th Paris attacks.
Many of those who have bound their lips together are Iranian nationals on hunger strike for the right to seek asylum and refuge in Europe. They protest alongside numerous others--from Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries--who are stranded in the Greek village of Idomeni.
Slovenia announced last week it is barring entry to all refugees except those fleeing Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan--declaring everyone else an "economic migrant" ineligible for admittance. Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia soon after announced they will follow the same policy.
"I cannot go back. I will be hanged," a 34-year-old Iranian man identified as Hamid told Reuters, explaining he wished to travel to "any free country in the world."
In lively protests that continued through Monday, demonstrators chanted, rallied, and laid down on train tracks, with many from Pakistan holding signs illustrating human rights violations in their home country.
"We are also at war you know?" Yianni, a 34-year-old dentist from Cameroon, told IRIN News last week. "We have Boko Haram! I need to continue with my studies and my life."
The decision has been denounced by refugees, rights campaigners, and global bodies. This includes the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, which released a joint statement on Friday declaring that the profiling of refugees according to nationality "is becoming increasingly untenable from every point of view--humanitarian, legal, and also safety related, not least in light of falling temperatures and the risks for children and others with specific needs."
"These measures by States are creating tension at border crossings and a domino effect, leaving in total limbo some refugees and migrants stranded at different border points," the joint statement continued.
"To classify a whole nation as economic migrants is not a principle recognized in international law," Rados Djurovic, director of the Belgrade-based Asylum Protection Center, told a Serbian state television station. "We risk violating human rights and asylum law."
Rights groups have rebuked European states for erecting fences and sealing off borders in the face of the worst crisis of global displacement since World War II. In a report released last week, Amnesty International argued that such policies do not deter those fleeing war and poverty, but merely force them to take more dangerous voyages, placing them at greater risk of death.
At least seven people sewed their mouths shut and many more blocked trains on the Greece-Macedonia border Monday to protest the intensifying Balkan crackdown and profiling of refugees and asylum seekers that is impacting those fleeing war and poverty from across the globe.
The demonstrations have been ongoing for at least four days and were organized in response to a recent decision by some Balkan countries to block refugees according to nationality in the wake of the November 13th Paris attacks.
Many of those who have bound their lips together are Iranian nationals on hunger strike for the right to seek asylum and refuge in Europe. They protest alongside numerous others--from Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries--who are stranded in the Greek village of Idomeni.
Slovenia announced last week it is barring entry to all refugees except those fleeing Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan--declaring everyone else an "economic migrant" ineligible for admittance. Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia soon after announced they will follow the same policy.
"I cannot go back. I will be hanged," a 34-year-old Iranian man identified as Hamid told Reuters, explaining he wished to travel to "any free country in the world."
In lively protests that continued through Monday, demonstrators chanted, rallied, and laid down on train tracks, with many from Pakistan holding signs illustrating human rights violations in their home country.
"We are also at war you know?" Yianni, a 34-year-old dentist from Cameroon, told IRIN News last week. "We have Boko Haram! I need to continue with my studies and my life."
The decision has been denounced by refugees, rights campaigners, and global bodies. This includes the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, which released a joint statement on Friday declaring that the profiling of refugees according to nationality "is becoming increasingly untenable from every point of view--humanitarian, legal, and also safety related, not least in light of falling temperatures and the risks for children and others with specific needs."
"These measures by States are creating tension at border crossings and a domino effect, leaving in total limbo some refugees and migrants stranded at different border points," the joint statement continued.
"To classify a whole nation as economic migrants is not a principle recognized in international law," Rados Djurovic, director of the Belgrade-based Asylum Protection Center, told a Serbian state television station. "We risk violating human rights and asylum law."
Rights groups have rebuked European states for erecting fences and sealing off borders in the face of the worst crisis of global displacement since World War II. In a report released last week, Amnesty International argued that such policies do not deter those fleeing war and poverty, but merely force them to take more dangerous voyages, placing them at greater risk of death.