Switzerland - IOM reports that 345,440 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 20 November, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy. Some 171,264 people have arrived in Greece and 168,542 in Italy during 2016. The total is well below the number of arrivals at this point in 2015, by which time some 883,393 migrants and refugees had made the journey.

An estimated 4,655 people have died trying to make the crossing in 2016, compared to a total of 3,557 through this date in November 2015.  That is slightly less than 1,100 additional sea deaths in 2016 – despite a migrant and refugee flow that is well under half 2015’s total. 

The Central Mediterranean route connecting North Africa – particularly Libya – to Italy has proved the deadliest passage, accounting for over 4,100 of this year’s drownings, or roughly 90 percent of the Mediterranean deaths. In 2015 this route accounted for around 80 percent of all fatalities.

IOM Rome’s Flavio Di Giacomo reported Monday that up-to-date Italian Ministry of Interior (MoI) figures indicate that some 168,542 migrants arrived in Italy by sea this year as of 16 November. That is an increase of over 17 percent compared with last year during the same period, when arrivals totalled 143,705.

MoI officials this week also released data on the top ten nationalities of migrants and refugees arriving by sea in 2016. The largest number – 33,806 – came from Nigeria, a number nearly double the 19,576 arriving by this route in 2015.

On the other hand, at least two large “sender” countries in the Horn of Africa – Eritrea and Somalia – show significant drops compared to 2015.  Through October 2016, 19,288 Eritreans have arrived in Italy by sea, compared with 37,796 through October 2015. Somali arrivals dropped to 6,698 from 11,020 during the same period last year.

Several other West African nations – in addition to Nigeria – also recorded an increase in numbers compared with last year. Migrants from Guinea to Italy increased through the first 10 months of 2016 to 11,131 – compared with 1,916 last year – a nearly six-fold gain.

Ivorians also more than tripled, to 10,502 from 3,023. Ghana, Bangladesh, Mali and the Gambia also registered sharp gains. Sudanese traffic was almost the same as last year: from 8,692 during the first 10 months of 2015 to 9,033 during the same period in 2016.

 

Arrivals by sea to Italy - Main Countries of Origin January – October 2016/2015 Comparison (source: Italian Ministry of Interior)
Main Countries of Origin	2016	2015
Nigeria	33,807	19,576
Eritrea	19,288	37,796
Guinea	11,131	1,916
Cote d’Ivoire	10,502	3,023
Gambia	10,489	6,759
Sudan	9,033	8,692
Mali	8,564	5,118
Bangladesh	7,327	5,038
Somalia	6,698	11,020
Ghana	5,084	3,946
Tot. All Countries of Origin	159,427	140,987

For the latest Mediterranean Update infographic: 
http://migration.iom.int/docs/Mediterranean_Update_22_November_2016.pdf
For latest arrivals and fatalities in the Mediterranean, please visit: http://migration.iom.int/europe
Learn more about the Missing Migrants Project at: http://missingmigrants.iom.int

For further information please contact:
Flavio Di Giacomo at IOM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int
IOM Greece: Daniel Esdras, Tel: +30 210 9912174, Email:  iomathens@iom.int or Kelly Namia, Tel: +30 210 9919040, +30 210 9912174, Email: knamia@iom.int
Julia Black at IOM GMDAC, Tel: +49 30 278 778 27, Email: jblack@iom.int
Mazen Aboulhosn at IOM Turkey, Tel: +9031245 51202, Email: maboulhosn@iom.int
Joel Millman at IOM Geneva, Tel: +41 79 103 8720, Email: jmillman@iom.int
IOM Libya: Othman Belbeisi, Tel: +216 29 600389, Email: obelbeisi@iom.int  or Ashraf Hassan, Tel: +216297 94707, Email: ashassan@iom.int

For information or interview requests in French:
Florence Kim, OIM Genève, Tel: +41 79 103 03 42, Email: fkim@iom.int
Flavio Di Giacomo, OIM Italie, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int