Facilitating measures against coronavirus could lead to an influx of migrants

Facilitate measures related to the coronavirus pandemic, has increased fears of a possible influx of migrants, which, according to the security expert, Lubomir Gjurçevski, can take advantage of the large movement of people and goods to enter Northern Macedonia.

it, according to him it poses a risk not only for the introduction of a new variant of the coronavirus, but also for other issues related to various criminal acts.

"The risk is great. We have numerous movements of people and goods, we also have migrant movements coming from high-risk countries. For, we are exposed to dangers. This will pave the way for illegal crossings, we have from many Asian and African countries. With ease of movement, they can easily penetrate the country through various transports ", says for Radio Free Europe, Lubomir Gjurçevski, former senior official in the Public Safety Bureau.

Two weeks ago, The Ministry of Internal Affairs had detained a citizen from a village in Skopje with 13 illegal migrants, against whom criminal charges have been filed for trafficking in human beings. For, despite this, by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, say the situation is under control.

"If we make a comparison of the four-month period of this year, with the same period last year, we have discounts for 17 percent of attempts for illegal entry into Northern Macedonia. This is a result of the efficient work of the MIA in preventing illegal crossings and other measures to prevent such acts. ", says the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, Toni Angellovski.

For, Lubomir Djurcevski says the measures are contradictory.

"Institutions are very controversial in their decisions. On the one hand, we have a decision of the Assembly to continue the crisis in the southern part of the country for another six months., while on the other hand we have relief of all measures for protection against pandemic. These are decisions that do not correspond to each other. We must not be so liberal, knowing that Macedonia is at a crossroads, and that immigrants pass through it, criminal groups and various transports ”, says ururçevski.

According to the latest data, at the Migrant Reception Center in Vizbega, Skopje, are located around 20 person, circle 30 others are in Gevgelija, this city near the border with Greece, from where more migrants enter, as well as dozens of others in Tabanoc, Kumanovo, near the border with Serbia, where migrants infiltrate to continue on their way to European Union countries.

Jasmin Rexhepi from the association "Legis", caring for homeless migrants, says that the number of those who try to enter the country on a daily basis is not small.

"The number of people banned from entering Northern Macedonia, sillet mes 100 AND 200 in day. They are detained by law enforcement and returned to Greek territory. I think the situation is not so alarming. There could be a deterioration if we move from Turkey to Greece, to continue the same towards our border, but at the moment we do not have such a thing ", says Rexhepi.

The biggest wave of migrants, Macedonia experienced it over the years 2015-2016, when through its territory, passed tens of thousands of migrants from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and other Asian countries. In some cases, there were also incidents due to border closures, while migrant deaths in various accidents have also been recorded, during their journey to Serbia, a country which recently along the border with northern Macedonia, has erected a barbed wire fence, to prevent the entry of migrants. /rel