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Serbia and Macedonia Limiting Migrant Passage to Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans Only


Migrants wait to register with police at a refugee center in the southern Serbian town of Presevo, Nov. 16, 2015.
Migrants wait to register with police at a refugee center in the southern Serbian town of Presevo, Nov. 16, 2015.

Serbia and Macedonia have begun allowing migrant passage to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans, the United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday.

A UNHCR spokeswoman said all other migrants were being turned back, leaving hundreds stranded on borders. A Reuters witness on the Greek border with Macedonia said Macedonian police had begun turning back all non-Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans overnight.

"As of 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) yesterday evening Serbia started turning back (to Macedonia) all but Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans," said UNHCR spokeswoman Melita Sunjic.

"Macedonia closed the border around 3 a.m and some 100 people remained stranded in no-man's land."

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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