Regional states reach deal in bid to tackle migrant crisis

Regional states reach deal in bid to tackle migrant crisis

The agreement will be implemented as of Thursday, while the registration process starts in Gevgelija, Macedonia. These countries guarantee they will allow passage only to persons who have undergone initial controls.

Identification will be carried through this process, including the migrants' biometric data, in order to determine whether they come from the countries where their life is at risk, such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Macedonian police will transport refugees by train from Gevgelija to Presevo in Serbia, where they will be taken over by Serbian police, who will take them to Sid, near the border with Croatia. Croatian police will then transport refugees to Dopovo where they will be taken over by Slovenia, and then transported to Austria.

Refugees will not be given the status of asylum seekers immediately on the Greek-Macedonian border, but later in Austria or another country to which they are headed, according to Reuters.

A joint statement signed today by police directors of Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria has also been sent to Bulgaria and Albania, who have been invited to join in order to avoid a diverting of the refugee route.

Croatian Police Director Vlado Dominic said afterwards that quotas have not yet been determined and would depend on how many people Austria and Germany will decide to receive.

Ahead of the signing of the joint statement, a demonstration was held in front of Zagreb's Hotel International, where the participants were holding a press conference. The protest was organized by the Welcome Initiative, who oppose this agreement because they believe Europe should not restrict the entry of people from war-torn areas.

According to some information, migrants could be completely prevented from entering the EU from March 1. Namely, Belgrade-based Danas reported on Wednesday, citing sources "close to the European Commission," that the closing of borders will be gradual and would first apply to refugees from Iraq, then to those form Afghanistan, and finally to those from Syria.