Turkey Eases Regulations on Migrants, Allowing Thousands to Reach Greek Border

Ankara relaxed restrictions on the movement of migrants Sunday, allowing hundreds to move into Greece and thousands more to gather on the Turkish side of the border, waiting to exit to Greece. A Greek government source estimated that 3,000 migrants were gathered on its border on Sunday, while the International Organization for Migration estimated the number at 13,000. At least 500 migrants leaving Turkey arrived in Greece by sea on Sunday morning. Seven boatloads reached the island of Lesbos with more than 300 on board, four arrived on Samos with 150 and two on Chios with a total of 70 to 80 people. Groups also crossed the Maritsa River from Turkey to Greece at Kastanies, about 140 miles northwest of Istanbul. Turkey announced on Thursday it would no longer honor an agreement it made with the EU in 2016 to prevent hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers in its territory from reaching Europe. Turkey said the EU had not lived up to its commitment to provide funds to help resettle the refugees. Riot police in Kastanies used tear gas on Saturday to repel hundreds of migrants seeking entry.