The Greek government recalled ambassador to Vienna, as Athens protests against Austria's recent initiatives regarding the handling of the refugee crisis that have resulted in additional movement restrictions in the Balkans, leaving thousands of refugees stranded in Greece.

Refugees and migrants are blocked by Greek police close to Volos around 280 km away from Athens, due to erratic opening of the border between Greece and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Greece, Feb, 25. 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Ambassador Chryssoula Aliferi was recalled for "consultations aimed at safeguarding the friendly relations between the states and peoples of Greece and Austria," the Greek Foreign Ministry said in an e-mailed announcement.

"Unilateral initiatives for resolving the refugee crisis, along with violations of international law and the European acquis by member states of the EU, are practices that can undermine the foundations and process of European integration," according to the statement.

"Responsibility for dealing with the migration and refugee crisis cannot weigh on one country alone. Common sense dictates that effective handling of this complex problem should be governed by the principles of solidarity and fair burden sharing. Greece is working in such a direction," it concluded.

Athens' unusual move comes a day after Austria hosted a ministerial meeting with officials from Western Balkan countries, excluding Greece, to discuss how to slow the refugee influx.

Greece had also filed a formal complaint with Vienna ahead of the meeting, dismissing any decision making process on matters that concern Greece without its participation.

Austria argued that it was not the first time that Vienna held regional talks with representatives of the Western Balkans and that the result would be debated during Thursday's EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels.

Athens was not pleased with the response.

"Greece will not accept unilateral actions. Unilateral actions can also be applied from Greece. Greece will not become a new Lebanon for Europe, a warehouse of souls," Greek Deputy Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas told Greek national news agency AMNA upon his arrival to the Brussels meeting.

Tensions have risen this week, as Vienna's decision last week to impose daily caps in the entrance of refugees into Austria triggered similar restrictions by other Balkan states.

As a result thousands of refugees who have landed in Greece from Turkey over the past few days remain stranded in the country which is struggling to secure temporary accommodation, as the reception centers in the Aegean Sea islands and the mainland have filled up.

According to the latest information from Greek police, the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will allow only 100 refugees to cross over on Thursday, while 3,000 are queuing in the border crossing and more than 20,000 refugees and migrants were scattered across Greece.

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