Previously, migrants were forbidden from transiting Macedonia, causing those who chose to do so to take perilous, clandestine modes of transit, such as walking along railroad tracks at night.
Tidligere havde flygtninge været forhindrede i at rejse gennem Makedonien, hvilket tvang de flygtninge, der alligevel valgte ruten, til at benytte farlige, illegale former for gennemrejse, som for eksempel at vandre langs jernbanelinjerne om natten.