July 24, 2018

Migrants attacked and robbed at the Tabanovce border transit

Incident
Incident due to a refugee or migrant status
incidents committed due to ethnicity
Racial or other discrimination

What happened: On 24.07.2018, at 11:30 h, at the railroad Tabanovce-Preshevo, police officers discovered
eight persons – migrants from Iran. These persons reported that on the same day, after they illegally entered
North Macedonia from the Republic of Greece, at about 200 meters distance from the borderline with R.
Serbia, two unknown persons, threatening them with a knife, proceeded to rob them, depriving them of 8000
EUR. The team of the Red Cross provided the migrants with medical aid. Measures are taken to fully clarify the
case.

Date, time and location of the incident: 24.07.2018, at 11:39, at the railroad Tabanovce-Preshevo
Source of information: MoI’s daily newsletter.
Victim(s) involved: eight persons – migrants.
Type of crime(s): Robbery (Article 237 CC),
Perpetrator(s): several unknown perpetrators.

Brief description of the event with bias indicators: In this incident the bias motive is the status of a migrant-
refugee, as the victims were migrants, and the bias indicators are:

1. Status of a migrant/refugee – the victims are migrants/refugees;
2. Pattern of previous incidents – attacks of migrants, especially in the vicinity of a railroad, have been also
registered before

Status of the case: Unknown.
Response of the local authorities: By the time this report was finished, there was no response from MoI.
(We got a response from MoI in January 2019, they have taken record of the case, but say it is not under their
jurisdiction)
Impact on the victims and the community: This incident calls into question the ethnic co-existence of the
two major ethnic communities in the country.

Address
Tabanovce, North Macedonia
Location Name
the railway Tabanovce- Presevo

Number of victims
8
Number of Perpetrators
10
Status of the case
Perpetrators identified
Type of incident?
Destruction of property Serious threat
Incident location
Other public location
How did the police react?
They investigated the incident
Have there been similar incidents / crimes in the same location?
Yes
Migrants attacked and robbed at the Tabanovce border transit image

Criminal offences

Against Property
Theft or burglary Robbery Damage of property
Against the Public Order
Violence
Against Humanity and International Law
Racial or other discrimination

Grounds

Race Nationality Ethnic origin