SKOPJE, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia will extend the state of emergency along the southern and northern border until Dec. 31 to prevent a possible influx of migrants, the Defense and Security Committee in Macedonian Parliament announced Wednesday.
According to the Macedonian interior ministry, in the past couple of months an increase was recorded in attempts by migrants to illegally cross the Macedonian border.
Director of the Macedonian Crisis Management Center (CMC), Agron Buxhaku, said the crisis situation should be extended for "preventive reasons".
Moreover, Buxhaku emphasized that the Macedonian Army cannot intervene unless a state of emergency is declared and the border is guarded by police officers from European Union (EU) countries as well.
"We not only guard Macedonian borders, but the Union borders as well," said Buxhaku.
Macedonia declared a "state of emergency" in its two border regions in mid-2015 due to the tension caused by the rising number of refugees.