Deadly, desperate... and futile: Hundreds of migrants who risked their lives crossing river to get into Macedonia are rounded up on trucks and sent straight back to Greece 

  • Around 2,000 refugees walked out of squalid Greek camp and waded across deadly river in bid to enter Macedonia
  • But after reaching the other side they were surrounded by Macedonian troops and loaded on trucks to be sent back
  • About 30 journalists were also detained and fined €500 each for 'breaking the law and illegal entering' the country
  • Three refugees including a pregnant woman drowned while attempting similar river crossing just hours earlier 
  • See more of the latest news on the refugee crisis as thousands risk their lives to enter Macedonia

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Hundreds of migrants who risked death crossing a treacherous river to enter Macedonia have been rounded up and will be sent straight back to Greece.

Around 2,000 refugees streamed out en masse from a Greek camp where they have been trapped for days in squalid conditions.

After trekking 6km across muddy fields, they carried children, pushchairs and even people in wheelchairs as they waded through thigh-deep water to reach a gap in the border fence.

But almost as soon as they made it to the other side, they were surrounded by Macedonian soldiers and placed onto military trucks to be sent back. 

About 30 journalists, including a Reuters photographer, who followed the migrants were also detained and taken to a police station in Gevgelija.

A police spokesman said the journalists would be released after paying a €500 fee each for 'breaking the law and illegal entering' the country.

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Macedonian soldiers escort migrants who have crossed the border illegally from Greece into army trucks in the village of Moini

Macedonian soldiers escort migrants who have crossed the border illegally from Greece into army trucks in the village of Moini

The migrants set out en masse towards the river from the Idomeni refugee camp after being told there was no fence on the other side

The migrants set out en masse towards the river from the Idomeni refugee camp after being told there was no fence on the other side

Macedonian soldiers and police escort migrants who have crossed the border illegally from Greece, into army trucks in the village of Moini

Macedonian soldiers and police escort migrants who have crossed the border illegally from Greece, into army trucks in the village of Moini

Hundreds of migrants who risked death crossing a treacherous river to enter Macedonia have been rounded up and sent back to Greece

Hundreds of migrants who risked death crossing a treacherous river to enter Macedonia have been rounded up and sent back to Greece

Futile journey: A Macedonian police official said the 'police and army had began returning migrants'

Futile journey: A Macedonian police official said the 'police and army had began returning migrants'

Almost as soon as they made it to the other side, they were surrounded by Macedonian soldiers and placed onto trucks to be sent back

Almost as soon as they made it to the other side, they were surrounded by Macedonian soldiers and placed onto trucks to be sent back

A child cries as migrants cross a river while attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border fence, mapped out on the leaflet handed out in Idomeni camp

A child cries as migrants cross a river while attempting to reach Macedonia on a route that would bypass the border fence

Hundreds of migrants carried children and pushchairs as they waded through thigh-deep water to reach a gap in the border fence

Hundreds of migrants carried children and pushchairs as they waded through thigh-deep water to reach a gap in the border fence

Around 1,000 migrants including women and children trekked for 6km to the river after being told there was no fence on the other side

Around 1,000 migrants including women and children trekked for 6km to the river after being told there was no fence on the other side

The perilous journey yesterday claimed the lives of three refugees including a pregnant woman whose bodies were pulled from the water near the Macedonia border.

But just hours later, around 2,000 others including women, young children and even a person in a wheelchair trekked en masse towards the river after being told there was no fence on the other side.

Dramatic pictures show them using a rope and forming human chains to steady themselves against the current as they waded precariously through the water which has swollen after days of heavy rain.

The migrants then found a break in the border fence near the Greek village of Chamilo and crossed into Macedonia in the hope of heading further north to wealthier European countries such as Germany. 

Macedonia stopped allowing any migrants through last week, forcing them to take extreme measures to escape the muddy, disease-ridden camp near the northern Greek village of Idomeni where some 14,000 refugees are stranded. 

Perilous: Desperate migrants heading to Macedonia, after leaving the Idomeni refugee camp in Greece, are forced to cross a river while clutching their belongings and young children

Perilous: Desperate migrants heading to Macedonia, after leaving the Idomeni refugee camp in Greece, are forced to cross a river while clutching their belongings and young children

False promises: The leaflet also claims that 'Anyone who manage to arrive in the countries of Central / Eastern Europe will be able to stay'

Scary: For some of the younger migrants, the crossing is a terrifying prospect and pictured, an emotional young girl clutches onto a guide rope and an adult's hand for safety

Pictured, a father holds on to his baby as they make the dangerous journey cross the river in Greece with hundreds of others
Pictured, a migrant father clings on to a guide rope as he crosses the river with his baby daughter

Pictured, fathers hold on to their babies as they make the dangerous journey across the river in Greece with hundreds of others

No one is left behind in the struggle for a better life as a group of migrants and volunteers lift a man in a wheel chair across the icy water

No one is left behind in the struggle for a better life as a group of migrants and volunteers lift a man in a wheel chair across the icy water

Migrants help people in wheelchairs across the river after the decision  to close its border  left thousands stranded at the Greek transit camp

Migrants help people in wheelchairs across the river after the decision to close its border left thousands stranded at the Greek transit camp

Volunteers pitched in to help the migrants cross the river and one man can be seen holding a walking stick as he helps another carry a migrant child to safety

Volunteers pitched in to help the migrants cross the river and one man can be seen holding a walking stick as he helps another carry a migrant child to safety

The decision by Macedonia to close its borders to migrants has left many seeking alternative routes to the promised land of Northern Europe. Pictured, a man, presumably screaming in relief, reaches the other side of the river while clutching on to his belongings

The decision by Macedonia to close its borders to migrants has left many seeking alternative routes to the promised land of Northern Europe. Pictured, a man, presumably screaming in relief, reaches the other side of the river while clutching on to his belongings

Many of the migrants were seen clutching on to their children as they carefully negotiated their way across the river and pictured, a small child wrapped up in a shawl, hangs from the fabric - just a short drop from the icy water below

Many of the migrants were seen clutching on to their children as they carefully negotiated their way across the river and pictured, a small child wrapped up in a shawl, hangs from the fabric - just a short drop from the icy water below

The journey across the river has already cost the lives of three people and pictured, migrants rush to the aid of a man who has lost his balance while holding on to a small child

Pictured, a migrant holds a baby wrapped up against the cold as swathes of others cross the river with their belongings and loved ones

Pictured, a migrant holds a baby wrapped up against the cold as swathes of others cross the river with their belongings and loved ones

Pictured, migrants who reach the bank unscathed, could now face more hardship and possible arrest, as they carry on with their journey

Pictured, migrants who reach the bank unscathed, could now face more hardship and possible arrest, as they carry on with their journey

As migrants pull themselves out of the water and struggle up a muddy bank they are offered help by others who have crossed before them

As migrants pull themselves out of the water and struggle up a muddy bank they are offered help by others who have crossed before them

Heading west from the camp in a long snaking cavalcade along muddy paths, the migrants, wrapped up in coats and hats, carried their belongings in rucksacks and bags.

After crossing the river, the migrants reached the border fence and walked along it trying to find a way through into Macedonia. 

The exodus from the Idomeni camp was sparked after leaflets were apparently posted giving instructions on how to cross the border. 

One refugee told the MailOnline: 'The leaflets say that if we can get over the river and into Macedonia, we can then go into Germany. 

'They said Macedonia was 500m on the other side of the river. They were signed by a German politician.'

If the leaflets existed, the directions were apparently not very clear because the column of refugees got lost several times and there were frequent stops with arguments about which direction to go before they finally reached the river.

A short while later, Greek police turned up and were broadcasting messages over loudspeakers telling people that there was no access to Germany by crossing the river, a tributary leading into the Vardar river north of Chamilo, but desperate refugees refused to accept what they were being told.

Even with the presence of Greek police, groups continued to push towards the river, helping each other to cross.

Macedonian police were waiting on the other side, but it was unclear what action they were taking against the refugees. 

Pictured, a group of migrants trek across a field in Macedonia after bypassing a border fence by negotiating the treacherous river

Pictured, a group of migrants trek across a field in Macedonia after bypassing a border fence by negotiating the treacherous river

Arrest is a risk facing all migrants and pictured, Macedonian soldiers escort a family who have crossed the border illegally from Greece

Arrest is a risk facing all migrants and pictured, Macedonian soldiers escort a family who have crossed the border illegally from Greece

Macedonian coroners place the body of drowned migrant in a coffin on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, after he and two others tried to cross the border with Greece

Macedonian coroners place the body of drowned migrant in a coffin on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, after he and two others tried to cross the border with Greece

Desperate measures: The bodies of two men and a woman were found in the water early Monday around half a mile from the Greek town of Idomeni where thousands of refugees are trapped in squalid conditions

Desperate measures: The bodies of two men and a woman were found in the water early Monday around half a mile from the Greek town of Idomeni where thousands of refugees are trapped in squalid conditions

A Macedonian coroner looks at the bodies of drowned migrants on the river bank  near town of Gevgelija

A Macedonian coroner looks at the bodies of drowned migrants on the river bank near town of Gevgelija

A Macedonian police officer secures the area where the bodies of drowned migrants lie on the river bank

A Macedonian police officer secures the area where the bodies of drowned migrants lie on the river bank

Lucky escape: A migrant from Iran, who was one of 19 rescued from drowning in the Suva Reka river after entering Macedonia illegally, shows her injuries while resting in a tent in the transit centre for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija on Tuesday

Lucky escape: A migrant from Iran, who was one of 19 rescued from drowning in the Suva Reka river after entering Macedonia illegally, shows her injuries while resting in a tent in the transit centre for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija on Tuesday

Perilous journey: News of the deaths comes after several days of heavy rain in the border area which has swelled rivers

Perilous journey: News of the deaths comes after several days of heavy rain in the border area which has swelled rivers

Earlier, police said the bodies of a pregnant woman, her teenage sister, and one man were pulled from the Suva Reka river after apparently attempting the same journey.

Another 19 Afghans who tried to cross with them were taken to a nearby reception centre by Macedonian authorities and four, who were injured. 

Natalija Spirova Kordic, a spokeswoman for the Macedonian interior ministry, said: 'The case is under investigation, but so far it looks like they drowned while trying to enter Macedonia illegally.'

News of the deaths comes after several days of heavy rain in the border area which has swelled rivers and led officials to instigate anti-flooding measures. 

More than 12,000 people are stuck on the Greek side of the border in an overcrowded camp after the main migrant route to western Europe through the Balkans was effectively shut down last week. 

Officials said the closures are forcing migrants to resort to 'desperate actions' which are making them attempt more dangerous crossings. 

Some 300 migrants left a camp the Idomeni camp yesterday and are heading on foot toward a break in a frontier fence dividing the two countries. 

Migrants wade across the river  after the border with Greece was shut down, forcing them to make deadly crossings

Migrants wade across the river after the border with Greece was shut down, forcing them to make deadly crossings

Hundreds of men, women and children crossed the river en masse after being told there was no fence on the other side

Hundreds of men, women and children crossed the river en masse after being told there was no fence on the other side

A refugee family falls into the river they try to cross on their way to Macedonia from a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border

A refugee family falls into the river they try to cross on their way to Macedonia from a makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border

Risking death for a new life in Europe: A man carries a child across the river. Refugees have been trying to find a gap in the barbed wire fence that Macedonia has built along its frontier to deter them from heading north to wealthier European countries such as Germany

Risking death for a new life in Europe: A man carries a child across the river. Refugees have been trying to find a gap in the barbed wire fence that Macedonia has built along its frontier to deter them from heading north to wealthier European countries such as Germany

The exodus from the Idomeni camp was sparked after leaflets were apparently posted giving instructions on how to cross the border

The exodus from the Idomeni camp was sparked after leaflets were apparently posted giving instructions on how to cross the border

Dash for the border: Dozens of migrants waded precariously through the water which has swollen after days of heavy rain

Dash for the border: Dozens of migrants waded precariously through the water which has swollen after days of heavy rain

A migrant carries a boy across the river
A migrant is helped as he wades across a river near the Greek-Macedonian border

All hands on deck: A migrant carries a boy across the river (left) while another man is helped negotiate the stretch of water

Risking their lives: Macedonia stopped allowing any migrants through last week, forcing them to take extreme measures to escape the muddy, disease-ridden camp near the northern Greek village of Idomeni where some 14,000 refugees are stranded

Risking their lives: Macedonia stopped allowing any migrants through last week, forcing them to take extreme measures to escape the muddy, disease-ridden camp near the northern Greek village of Idomeni where some 14,000 refugees are stranded

After crossing the river, the migrants reached the border fence and walked along it trying to find a way through into Macedonia

After crossing the river, the migrants reached the border fence and walked along it trying to find a way through into Macedonia

The refugees including young children and a person in a wheelchair headed for the river as rumour of a hole in the fence spread

The refugees including young children and a person in a wheelchair headed for the river as rumour of a hole in the fence spread

Police stand guard on the riverbank as dozens of migrants try to make their way into Macedonia from Greece

Police stand guard on the riverbank as dozens of migrants try to make their way into Macedonia from Greece

The migrants, including dozens of children, were heading east toward the river that crosses the border, around three miles away and refused to turn back at a police cordon outside the camp.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said the 'human misery' being endured by refugees at the slum had reached a 'deplorable peak'.

After visiting the site, UNHCR head Babar Baloch said: 'It has just gone beyond imagination how bad it can get and each day we are getting more rain, people are suffering.' 

Conditions have become unhygienic in the extreme: toilets have overflowed while dozens of children have been hospitalised suffering from breathing difficulties and an assortment of viruses.

One nine-year-old Syrian girl with hepatitis A was hospitalised at nearby Thessalonika, where the Keelpno disease prevention centre reported her condition as stable.

The Greek government said Saturday it would deal with the crisis at Idomeni within a week by transferring refugees there to other reception centres.

But the UNHCR underlined the situation required urgent attention. 

Baloch said: 'We as UNHCR hope that the Greek authorities move fast ... because remaining here even one minute is not an option.

'They cannot be kept here for long in these inhumane conditions. They need to be offered a way out of here and they are desperate. 

'You see children shivering, walking barefoot on the road here in this misery. It is just unimaginable.' 

Heading west  in a long snaking cavalcade, the migrants, wrapped up in coats and hats, carried their belongings in rucksacks and bags

Heading west in a long snaking cavalcade, the migrants, wrapped up in coats and hats, carried their belongings in rucksacks and bags

Face off: Migrants are stopped by Greek riot police as they look for a way to cross the border near Idomeni

Face off: Migrants are stopped by Greek riot police as they look for a way to cross the border near Idomeni

Determined: The migrants, including dozens of children, were heading east toward the river that crosses the border, around three miles away and refused to turn back at a police cordon outside the camp

Determined: The migrants, including dozens of children, were heading east toward the river that crosses the border, around three miles away and refused to turn back at a police cordon outside the camp

Some 300 migrants are heading on foot toward a break in a frontier fence dividing the two countries

Some 300 migrants are heading on foot toward a break in a frontier fence dividing the two countries

The UN refugee agency  said the 'human misery' being endured by refugees  had reached a 'deplorable peak'

The UN refugee agency said the 'human misery' being endured by refugees had reached a 'deplorable peak'

Migrants walk through a field looking for a way to cross the Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni

Migrants walk through a field looking for a way to cross the Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni

Water, water everywhere: A girl walks through a massive puddle after heavy rainfall at the Idomeni camp on the Greek-Macedonia border

Water, water everywhere: A girl walks through a massive puddle after heavy rainfall at the Idomeni camp on the Greek-Macedonia border

Sunday saw a 200-strong group of Syrians and Iraqis, including many children, demonstrate at Idomeni, demanding the border be re-opened, just the latest in a succession of daily protests.

The refugees are clinging on, despite the atrocious conditions, in the hope that an EU summit on Thursday will bring decisions to aid their plight and lead to the border being reopened. 

But in an interview published on Sunday, Austria's foreign minister said border closures should be extended.

Sebastian Kurz told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the route leading through Italy to central Europe should also be blocked.

'Smuggling can't be prevented entirely ... (so) we will have to do everything that we are now doing on the western Balkan route along the Italy-Mediterranean route too,' he said.

'The time of waving through refugees to central Europe is over.' 

A cap on migrants imposed by Austria last month set off a domino effect of border closures across the Balkans, leaving thousands stranded in Greece.

Despite the closures, more than 8,500 refugees and migrants travelled to the Greek islands from Turkey last week, according to the UNHCR. 

A migrant boy stands near a flooded field at a makeshift camp on the Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni

A migrant boy stands near a flooded field at a makeshift camp on the Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni

Squalid: Conditions have become unhygienic in the extreme. Toilets have overflowed while dozens of children have been hospitalised suffering from breathing difficulties and an assortment of viruses

Squalid: Conditions have become unhygienic in the extreme. Toilets have overflowed while dozens of children have been hospitalised suffering from breathing difficulties and an assortment of viruses

Refugees line up behind muddy puddles as they wait to receive food portions at the Idomeni migrant camp

Refugees line up behind muddy puddles as they wait to receive food portions at the Idomeni migrant camp

A sign giving advice to parents to keep their children safe is displayed beside tents near filthy water at the Idomeni refugee camp

A sign giving advice to parents to keep their children safe is displayed beside tents near filthy water at the Idomeni refugee camp

Migrants stage a protest march about the continued closure of the Greek-Macedonian border at the Idomeni refugee camp

Migrants stage a protest march about the continued closure of the Greek-Macedonian border at the Idomeni refugee camp

Misery: Children wait for food supplies on the Greek side of the border between Greece and Macedonia at a refugee camp, near the village of Idomeni

Misery: Children wait for food supplies on the Greek side of the border between Greece and Macedonia at a refugee camp, near the village of Idomeni

Migrants queue for supplies being delivered to them at the Idomeni refugee camp in northern Greece

Migrants queue for supplies being delivered to them at the Idomeni refugee camp in northern Greece

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