Refugees stage protest during EU ambassadors’ visit to Greece camp

Refugees have staged a protest at Idomeni refugee camp near Greece’s border with Macedonia during a visit to the camp by the ambassadors of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Sweden’s Ambassador Charlotte Wrangberg, Norway’s Ambassador Jørn Eugene Gjelstad and Denmark’s Ambassador Michael Braad visited the camp on Wednesday and met officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The protesters who entered Greece before the EU-Turkey agreement entered into force on 20 March gathered in front of the tent where the ambassadors met with the UN officials and expressed dissatisfaction with the closure of the border and demanded it to be reopened.

The Greek authorities increased the number of security forces in the camp and helped the ambassadors leave the area.

Under the agreement between the EU and Turkey, all “irregular migrants” arriving in Greece from Turkey since 20 March face being sent back. For every Syrian refugee returned, another Syrian refugee will theoretically be resettled from Turkey to the EU.

The first group to be deported from Greece consisted of 131 people, mostly coming from Pakistan. They reached the Turkish port city of Izmir on Monday.