The ‘Gazi Baba’ Reception Centre for Foreigners in Macedonia: migrants caught at the crossroad between hypocrisy and complying with the rule of law

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this article, we seek to contribute to the growing body of scholarship in the field of inquiry known as the ‘criminology of mobility’, where countries are using criminal justice agencies and procedures in the name of border control. It explores the degree to which Macedonia complied with international and regional human rights law and domestic Macedonian law when it detained 1003 migrants at its Gazi Baba ‘Reception Centre for Foreigners’ from 1 January until 15 June 2015. Reports from human rights organisations and interviews with witnesses suggest that the refugees and migrants at Gazi Baba were arbitrarily detained and subjected to degrading treatment. It raises questions about the capacity of a country like Macedonia to observe the rule of law in developing a democracy, especially in the application of basic and fundamental human rights, and to establish functional institutions serving publicly stated purposes in order to provide legitimate control against state and non-state misconduct.