Greece has seen a rebound in the number of crossings by migrants to its islands near the coast of Turkey despite growing difficulties in crossing the Balkans to reach central and northern Europe.
The International Organization for Migration said Friday that the number of people crossing daily topped 5,000 on Wednesday after dropping to just 155 on Sunday.
The surge comes despite ongoing protests at the Greek-Macedonian border. Hundreds of migrants are stranded there in worsening weather after Macedonia blocked access to citizens of countries that are not being fast-tracked for asylum in the European Union.
On Thursday, hundreds of migrants clashed with Macedonian riot police at the border as they tried to force their way through the cordon.
