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Passing through the Gevgelija refugee transit camp

Transit camps established throughout the refugee route offer support and shelter for thousands on the journey north.

Refugees board trains from the transit camp in Gevgelija, Macedonia. Six or seven trains a day take refugees to the border with Serbia. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees board trains from the transit camp in Gevgelija, Macedonia. Six or seven trains a day take refugees to the border with Serbia. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
By Ioana Moldovan
16 Nov 2015

Gevgelija, Macedonia – Even if their numbers continue to increase, scenes with refugees sleeping on the train tracks, out in the rain, are rarely seen these days in Europe. The process has become more organised. Transit camps have been established near the borders, such as the one in Gevgelija, at the border between Macedonia and Greece.

Around 7,000 refugees arrive in the transit camp in Gevgelija every day. “A huge increase” since July, when there were 1,200-1,500 refugees arriving daily, according to Lorenzo Leonelli, a UNHCR field officer.

RELATED: The unsung heroes of the refugee crisis

Refugees arrive in groups of around 50. They cross the border on foot from a similar camp in Greece. Past the 59km milestone, after a vineyard, they arrive outside the fences of the Gevgelija transit camp.

Once there, they wait until those who have arrived before them are registered by the Macedonian border police. Once inside, they allow themselves to rest for 15-20 minutes or a few hours, depending on the train schedule. 

They receive medical care, food, clothing and blankets. Children find a safe place to play. When the train arrives, they move on towards Tabanovtse, at the border with Serbia. And then the next group arrives. And then the next. Day and night. Every day. 

Macedonia is a small country with an estimated population of two million people. It is not an EU member state, but faces the same influx of refugees as the other European countries. 

Dr Bertrand Desmoulins, a UNICEF representative, said he was concerned about what will happen to countries such as Macedonia as borders to the north close. He believes they need to prepare for the possibility that thousands of refugees will be stranded in Macedonia. “The EU should be helping countries like Macedonia […] So far, we cannot be very enthusiastic about what the EU has done in terms of trying to solve or mitigate the refugee crisis.” 

“Countries should not be left alone,” Leonelli agrees. “This is a regional issue and should be dealt [with] at a regional level.”

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Refugees wait for the next train in a large tent in Gevgelija camp. The camp is a transit point where refugees wait from 15-20 minutes up to several hours, depending on the train schedule. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees wait for the next train in a large tent in Gevgelija camp. The camp is a transit point where refugees wait from 15-20 minutes up to several hours, depending on the train schedule. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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'Children want to get back to normal life. The child-friendly spaces are meant to give them a sense of normality, even if only for a few hours,' said Dr Bertrand Desmoulins, UNICEF. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
'Children want to get back to normal life. The child-friendly spaces are meant to give them a sense of normality, even if only for a few hours,' said Dr Bertrand Desmoulins, UNICEF. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees enter through registration tents, just outside the transit camp in Gevgelija. From June 19 until October 26, 179,000 refugees have been registered in Macedonia. But, according to UNICEF, the actual number could be double that figure. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees enter through registration tents, just outside the transit camp in Gevgelija. From June 19 until October 26, 179,000 refugees have been registered in Macedonia. But, according to UNICEF, the actual number could be double that figure. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A refugee child at the Red Cross tent in the transit camp in Gevgelija. Red Cross gets about 500 medical cases a day, and sometimes up to 1,000 a day. The cases range from blisters and colds to chronic medical conditions such as heart and respiratory problems. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A refugee child at the Red Cross tent in the transit camp in Gevgelija. Red Cross gets about 500 medical cases a day, and sometimes up to 1,000 a day. The cases range from blisters and colds to chronic medical conditions such as heart and respiratory problems. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees waiting in the transit camp hold up the group number they received in Greece, until being told those numbers do not apply in Gevgelija. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees waiting in the transit camp hold up the group number they received in Greece, until being told those numbers do not apply in Gevgelija. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A refugee woman with an infant waits in line for the train. Usually there is a break in the train schedule between the hours of 12pm and 5pm. This is when the camp is most crowded. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A refugee woman with an infant waits in line for the train. Usually there is a break in the train schedule between the hours of 12pm and 5pm. This is when the camp is most crowded. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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Refugees queue outside the fence of the transit camp. The Macedonian government is fully in charge of the camp, coordinating registration, security and access. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees queue outside the fence of the transit camp. The Macedonian government is fully in charge of the camp, coordinating registration, security and access. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Some refugees choose not to go by train but by taxi. A hundred metres away from the transit camp, tens of taxis await. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Some refugees choose not to go by train but by taxi. A hundred metres away from the transit camp, tens of taxis await. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees check the map in Gevgelija transit camp. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Refugees check the map in Gevgelija transit camp. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
The train ticket from Gevgelija to Tabanovtse, near the border with Serbia, costs 25 euros [$26.8]. The price was increased from 6 euros [$6.4], angering international NGOs on the ground. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
The train ticket from Gevgelija to Tabanovtse, near the border with Serbia, costs 25 euros [$26.8]. The price was increased from 6 euros [$6.4], angering international NGOs on the ground. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Of the total number of registered refugees, 38 percent are families and 5 percent are unaccompanied minors - groups of teenagers of similar age travelling together - according to UNICEF. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Of the total number of registered refugees, 38 percent are families and 5 percent are unaccompanied minors - groups of teenagers of similar age travelling together - according to UNICEF. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
According to UNHCR, around 7,000 refugees now transit through the camp in Gevgelija on a daily basis. A huge increase from end of July when there were 1,200-1,500. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
According to UNHCR, around 7,000 refugees now transit through the camp in Gevgelija on a daily basis. A huge increase from end of July when there were 1,200-1,500. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A refugee signals to other members of his group through the small crack of the train window. The trains carrying refugees are not very new and often get overcrowded. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A refugee signals to other members of his group through the small crack of the train window. The trains carrying refugees are not very new and often get overcrowded. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A train full of refugees departs from Gevgelija towards the border with Serbia.[Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
A train full of refugees departs from Gevgelija towards the border with Serbia.[Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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