European Union Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn says the bloc will not leave Balkan countries to deal with the refugee crisis on their own.
Addressing the FYROM parliament in Skopje Friday, he said all EU countries “have the task to protect the external borders.”
FYROM has seen tens of thousands of migrants cross from its southern border with Greece to its northern border with Serbia as they head to the more prosperous EU countries of the north. FYROM police said that more than 83,000 have transited through the small Balkan nation in the last three months.
“You are not a parking lot for refugees, you are also victims of the situation and we won’t leave you alone,” Hahn said.
The commissioner was to visit the southern border area with Greece Saturday.
