HIGHLIGHTS
■ 15,775 refugees and migrants crossed the border into fYR Macedonia during 1- 7 January 2016, with a daily average of 2,254. Since UNHCR began monitoring departures from Gevgelija on 1 July 2015 some 703,055 refugees and migrants have departed.
■ From 1-7 January 2016, out of the intentions to seek asylum 23 applications for asylum were filed, while from 1 January 2015 to 7 January 2016, 1,909 asylum applications were submitted out of which 997 were submitted by Syrians, 362 by Afghans, and 172 by Iraqis. So far only two persons have been recognised as refugees in 2015-2016, both unaccompanied children, one from Iraq and one from Syria.
■ During the reporting period, 152 people were returned from Vinojug transit centre, on the southern border of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the Greek border for possessing forged documents, no documents, or for being nationals of countries other than Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq.
■ On 1 January, the Croatian police introduced a limit of 940 persons per train departing from Sid. The authorities in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have been informed accordingly and expect soon to be requested to issue each refugee with an individual registration form, and to share the complete list of people transiting to Serbia with the Serbian Border Police in advance. Logistical arrangements and additional resources are required to implement this new practice in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
■ Hungarian police visited the Vinojug reception centre on 5 January and started assisting the fYR Macedonia police from 6 January.