A claim issued by a pro-refugee Facebook page and subsequent Internet reproductions that Greece was "opening its borders" with North Macedonia to allow third country nationals to exit without travel documents is considered as the cause behind a rush towards the frontier on Thursday by asylum-seekers.
Some 500 people, including families, exited a shelter near Thessaloniki and attempted to reach the Idomeni border post with North Macedonia. When riot police blocked their path, violence broke out, with groups of mostly young men throwing stones and other objects at assembled police, who responded with tear gas. One particularly shocking scene showed a man throwing a young girl onto the shields of riot police, an incident that was condemned by government ministers and other officials.
The images were reminiscent of chaotic scenes in 2015 and 2016, when more than a million people were ferried over to a handful of Greek isles from neighboring Turkey by migrant smugglers and trafficking networks. Tens of thousands of people then made it to preferred destinations in central and western Europe, as border controls were temporarily cancelled.
While many of the people ferried over to Greece were from Mideast war zones, others were would-be economic migrants from North Africa, sub-Sahara Africa and as far away as Myanmar.
In Athens, meanwhile, fallout from the rumor-mongering caused some 200 asylum seekers and undocumented migrants to occupy the Larissis train station, with routes heading to and from the station cancelled, while also affecting routes on the suburban rail.
NAFTEMPORIKI.GR
Migrants occupy the Larissis train station
According to reports, many of third country nationals had even bought tickets for Germany, based on the rumors.
On her part, the Tsipras government minister responsible for public order, Olga Gerovassili, said the groups will not allowed to reach the border with North Macedonia.
A report said third country nationals were setting up tents on the train tracks at the station to press their demand to be taken to the border.
