An Iranian migrant sews his mouth shut during a protest near the village of Idomeni at the Greek-Macedonian border on Monday. Hundreds of migrants have been stranded at the border for days, after Macedonia and other Balkan countries toughened criteria for crossings.
“I cannot go back. I will be hanged.”
A group of refugees stuck at the border between Greece and Macedonia for the past four days have sewn their mouths shut in protest.
At least six Iranians have sewed their lips together, hoping to persuade Macedonia to open the border and let them through on their way to western Europe.
They are joined by hundreds of other halted migrants, most hailing from Iran, Morocco, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who have been barred entry to Europe as a result of countries tightening their borders following the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.
A migrant sits with his mouth sewn shut near the village of Idomeni at the Greek-Macedonian border. Other European countries quickly followed suit, leading to crowds of stranded refugees at border crossings.
One of the hunger strikers, a 34-year-old Iranian man named Hamid, told Reuters he’s an electrical engineer and wants to immigrate “to any free country in the world.”
An Iranian migrant, second from right, with his mouth sewn shut sits during a protest near the village of Idomeni at the Greek-Macedonian border.The Associated Press reports 2,900 immigrants were admitted to Macedonia between 6 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday. More than 6,000 people passed through the previous day.