Poposki: Sealing Off the Border with Greece a Second-Worst Scenario

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, in an interview with the “Wall Street Journal” says sealing the border with Greece would be the second worst scenario for dealing with the migrant crisis. Popovski said the best solution, would be to reduce the flow of migrants through Turkey along with Greece installing a more effective system for registration, and sending back those who do not qualify for asylum.

“Cooperation is improving, compared to last summer, the communication between Greek and Macedonian guards and also at ministers level. But the trouble is that the Greek rate of success is measured by how many migrants leave the Greek territory. Our rate of success is measured in few illegal crossings on our territory. We don’t have the same kind of objectives. For us the biggest fear is that if the borders close up further north, if we have 6,000-7,000 entering every day as we had at the peak last year, that means 70,000 in ten days, in two months 20% of the population – a dramatic situation. This is a disaster scenario we would like to avoid. Communication has improved, but the interests are not the same and Greece still has difficulties in controlling the islands, and as the pressure increases, they ship people to the mainland, and then they’re at the Macedonian border in hours. That’s the trouble”, Poposki said in the interview.