Refugee Crisis: Governor Asks Greece to Declare State of Emergency

A regional governor called on the Greek government Saturday to declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Idomeni border crossing where thousands of migrants are stranded due to border restrictions along the route toward western Europe.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the regional governor of the Greek region of Central Macedonia, speaks to a migrant woman, at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni on March 5, 2016. He called on the Greek government Saturday to declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Idomeni border crossing saying that up to 14,000 people are trapped in Idomeni, while another 6,000-7,000 are being housed in refugee camps around the region, meaning the area was handling about 60 percent of the total number in the country. AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

IDOMENI, Greece—A regional governor called on the Greek government Saturday to declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Idomeni border crossing where thousands of migrants are stranded due to border restrictions along the route toward western Europe.

Some 13,000-14,000 people are trapped in Idomeni, while another 6,000-7,000 are being housed in refugee camps around the region, said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of the Greek region of Central Macedonia. That means the area handles about 60 percent of the total number of migrants in the country.

It's a huge humanitarian crisis. I have asked the government to declare the area in a state of emergency.

— Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor, Greek region of Central Macedonia