Tension over migrants, from France to the Greek-Macedonian border. In the Jungle of Calais, where thousands of refugees have been living for months, the eviction is underway. According to the French media, about 55 police vehicles have arrived in the largest tent city in France: the agents have ordered the migrants to voluntarily leave the southern part of the camp or they will be forced to use force. The partial eviction was approved last Thursday by the administrative court of Lille: according to a recent estimate by the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais, around 3.500 people live in the camp. The government of François Hollande has ensured that all the migrants sent away will be offered the offer an alternative between heated containers and reception centres.
Even stronger tension on the border between the Greece , Macedonia: About 300 Iraqi and Syrian migrants tried to force the crossing, to protest against the cap on the daily influx of refugees set by the Macedonian authorities. The migrants managed to force the cordon of the Greek police, occupying the railway tracks, but the Macedonian police forces immediately intervened using tear gas.
Macedonia followed up on the decision taken by several Balkan governments - at a summit of police chiefs held on 18 February and from which Greece was excluded - to limit the maximum daily number of migrants to around 580 entering its territory. The Skopje authorities had authorized the passage of about 300 people last night, and then immediately closed the border: the country has started construction work on a new fence on the border with Greece.
