Chapter 3: The Challenges of the Refugee Crisis in the Republic of North Macedonia

The refugee crisis that the Republic of North Macedonia faced from the beginning of 2015 to March 2016 was very different from the refugee crises that the country faced after the independence of the country, which were the result of military conflicts in the areas of former Yugoslavia. About a million refugees passed through the territory of the country, but this time, the refugees came from completely different parts of the world, to completely unknown territory. The challenge for the institutions was too great for economic, social, health, legal, institutional, security reasons, etc. Dealing with this problem was a big challenge for the whole society; at the beginning, the institutions were not fully prepared to solve this issue. The activities of the civil society sector (NGOs) were a motivating step for all of us, i.e., they greatly contributed to translating some of their activities into policies of government institutions and international associations. The European Union as well as the local institutions have proven to be ineffective in dealing with the refugee crisis and lack of capacity for leadership in coordination and management of current problems, The refugee crisis must not be considered over, even though the number of refugees and migrants who entered Macedonia last year has decreased compared to 2016. The state must continue to build its capacities to be able to guarantee the basic human rights and freedoms of refugees and migrants on its territory, as well as to urgently stop the illegal, group “deportation” of these people to neighboring countries.