MACEDONIA: Migrants Go On Hunger Strike At Greek-Macedonian Border

Fears over who may be among the migrants soared after what appeared to be a Syrian passport was found by the body of a man who blew himself up during the Paris attacks; it is not clear if the passport is genuine, but it was carried by someone who arrived in the European Union through Greece and Balkan states in October.

Dariush Yazdani, 25, from Tehran, said he was determined to reach Germany and faced imprisonment were he to return to Iran.

The Macedonian government is reported to have received written notice from Croatia and been informed by telephone by Serbia that Zagreb and Belgrade will send back migrants who do not come from conflict zones.

Slovenia - the next country in the chain - also said it has been turning back economic migrants.

Cyprus Foreign Ministry official Homer Mavrommatis said that the 53 include those who intend to file an asylum claim as well as others who don't pose a security risk.

Serbian Labor Minister Aleksandar Vulin on Thursday blamed both Slovenia and Croatia for the ban on migrants fleeing poverty rather than war. Slovenia later Thursday said it will allow those migrants to proceed toward Austria.

President Gjorge Ivanov said on Friday that there is no cooperation between the Macedonian and the Greek services regarding the border situation, urging for a change. "UNHCR does not think that there is any nation that can be excluded from global protection based on their nationalities, but each case individually should be screened and processed based on the merits of the case".

Hundreds of protesting migrants whom Macedonia refuses to let in because it does not consider them legitimate asylum-seekers are blocking a railway line at the Greek-Macedonian border. A further 2,500 people are waiting in a camp set up nearby to provide shelter for those heading north through the Balkans.

A group of Iranians, blocked from entering Macedonia from Greece by barbed wire and rows of police, erected a banner on Sunday announcing a hunger strike. Migrants believe that Macedonia too should do the same and provide them with undisturbed passage to the country's northern border.

"We have to protect our country".