Greece: chaos after rumours of open borders
Rumours on the Internet that the border to Northern Macedonia was open prompted 2,000 refugees in Greece to travel to the north of the country on Thursday and Friday in the hope of crossing the boundary. But the border to Central Europe remained closed and violent clashes broke out between the refugees and police. On Sunday most of the migrants were brought back to their shelters. For Greek media the incident highlights the dramatic situation in the region.
Refugees want out at all costs
This incident shows once more how the EU has reached an impasse when it comes to the refugee issue, Tvxs observes:
“This is a reminder of the irresponsibility and weakness of the bloc, which was defeated by far-right votes. There are countries that refuse to shoulder their share of the responsibility in the refugee crisis and countries that are turning into 'warehouses' to stem the problem. The refugees don't want to be in Greece, they are forced to be there. Not long ago it came to a confrontation between the European People's Party and Orbán, but before that it had already adopted its stance on the refugee issue. ... This destructive management was the reason why the xenophobic rhetoric gained support all over Europe.”
Head-in-the-sand tactic was fatal
The EU must take urgent action, Ethnos writes:
“For many years now we've had bad experiences with irresponsible rumours. It is now a matter of pressing concern that we find those responsible and hold them accountable. In addition, the protection mechanisms for refugees must be strengthened. ... The fake news that led those who heard it to acts of desperation exposes the EU's head-in-the-sand attitude to the problem: in playing for time and passing the buck to other countries it's sweeping the whole issue under the carpet and strengthening the far right.”