Background
The Balkan Route: Almost 400,000 migrants transited through Macedonia (FYROM)* between June and December 2015. Migrants were allowed to enter the country at the Greek-Macedonian border, but had to register for obtaining a 72 hour transit visa issued by Macedonian Police at the Gevgelija train station before continuing their journey towards Serbia, through Hungary and then northern and western Europe. Read more about the Balkan route and the 2015 refugee situation in Europe here.
*now called the Republic of North Macedonia
Mission
Emergency response: deployed by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) / NORCAP to identify interventions at transit points to give relief and establish temporary shelter arrangements to refugees entering and leaving Macedonia. Coordinated between local authorities, partner agencies, and other stakeholders; conducted assessments of site conditions; developed recommendations of required engineering measures; designed site plans and layout of internal organization; and other design solutions.