Macedonian drama turns to tragedy

The images of the chaotic situation in Gevgelija have been seen around the world. The city of 10,000 in southern Macedonia, close to the border with Greece. There, where desperate people try somehow to push their way into overcrowded trains. Images that are reminiscent of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Images that evoke memories of 1999, and the flight of up to 300,000 people from Kosovo. Just like back then, Macedonia is confronted with a huge problem not of its own making that has completely overwhelmed the small country.

This time there are far fewer people than in 1999 and almost all of them just want to pass through. Back then, the country tried its best to help the migrants. Now, however, one cannot avoid the impression that the Macedonian government has long since become totally indifferent to them. Around 30 people from different regions of the world have been run over by Macedonian railway trains, because they followed the tracks as they walked to Serbia.

No international aid

The Macedonian authorities have apparently learned the lessons of 1999. Back then, their calls for help from the international community fell on deaf ears. It's the same again now. That's why the government has taken action: It has proclaimed a state of emergency on its southern and northern borders, so that the army can be called out. Normally, only the police are responsible for patrolling the frontier.

The number of people coming from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and African countries via Greece has grown rapidly - to more than 2,000 every day this week. In the two months in which the Macedonian authorities tried to register those crossing the border illegally and to allow them a three-day legal stay, there were already more than 41,000.

Although only 47 of them have applied for asylum in Macedonia and most of the others have probably long since reached the EU, this situation is too big a problem for Macedonia. This small country, with its two million inhabitants, is plagued by a serious internal crisis. In addition, it is already one of the poorest in Europe.

And with the migrants, it is now faced with a unique problem: These people are coming from one EU country and want to continue to other EU countries.

A solution that solves nothing

The criticism in Macedonia is loud that Greece has made no effort to prevent the illegal border crossings to its north. Quite the opposite, the EU country transported migrants from the Aegean Islands right up to the Macedonian border. So an EU problem was pushed onto a poor neighbor. That's why the decision of the Macedonian government is understandable.

But the official reason given - that the border was closed to protect the security of the population and to better organize the registration and transport of the migrants - does not solve the problem. Thousands of people are in limbo between Macedonia and Greece who urgently need food and medical help.

The more people have to endure there, and the longer it takes, the greater the pressure. Macedonia hopes that will be pressure on the EU. The decision to close the border only makes sense in this context. In the EU there is enough money to build fences, but not enough to help the countries that happen to lie on the migration route and need this help urgently.

What happens next?

In the coming days there will be no more spectacular TV images from the Gevgelija railway station. But no one can breathe a sigh of relief. The problem is with us, and it is not solved by moving people back and forth. And we should not forget: It is people who are suffering.

Because there is no evidence that the EU will respond quickly, we will most likely have to prepare for even more terrible images, and probably violent scenes. The drama is expected to continue and may escalate to tragedy. But from the standpoint of humanity, it already became one a long time ago.

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