Greek Police Expect New Wave of Refugees Attempting to Cross Border

Greek police expect a new wave of refugees trying to cross to neighboring countries through Greece's borders with Macedonia and Bulgaria, local media reported Sunday.

ATHENS (Sputnik) — On March 14, a group of about 2,000 migrants from the migrant camp tried to cross the Greek-Macedonian border in order to enter the former Yugoslav republic. The attempt was made following a mass distribution of leaflets which urged refugees to cross the border in an organized group. Macedonian authorities succeeded to prevent the illegal crossing.

According to Greece's Mega TV Channel, police is aware of the acts of dissemination of the information that the borders will be opened as well as boundary maps within the migrant camp.

The broadcaster added that police suspected of dissemination of a false information a group of anarchists, claiming to be volunteers or representatives of the NGOs providing migrants with humanitarian assistance.

Europe has been beset by a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa to escape violence and poverty and seeking better life conditions in Europe. Greece is the main transit route for refugees coming across the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the wealthier EU states.

Last month, Scopje closed Macedonian-Greek borders to incoming migrants after other countries along the Balkan migration route, including Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria, made the similar moves. The closure of borders along the route has resulted in thousands of refugees being stranded in Greece, particularly along the border with Macedonia.