Switzerland - IOM reports that 19,722 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 15 March, over 80 percent arriving in Italy and the rest in Spain and Greece. This compares with 154,416 through the first 74 days of 2016.

These arrival numbers do not include 333 migrants that came to port in Italy on 16 March, according to updates from Italy’s Ministry of Interior. Those new arrivals would push this year’s Mediterranean arrival numbers over 20,000 on March 16, and to over 16,000 for Italy alone. That puts 2017’s arrival rate to Italy considerably ahead of the 2015’s first three-month total of 10,165, and just below the 2016 three-month total of 18,777 (see chart below).

IOM’s Missing Migrants Project reports that the number of Mediterranean deaths – 525 – exceeds by 29 the total of 496 reported during the same period in 2016.  Julia Black of IOM’s Global Migration of Data Analysis Centre explained, “Already 525 migrant deaths and disappearances have been recorded in the Mediterranean as of 16 March 2017, an eight percent increase over the number recorded at this point in 2016.” She pointed to these key differences in the two years’ data:

• 481 of the 525 missing migrants recorded in the Mediterranean overall drowned in the Central Mediterranean, compared to 97 between 1 January and 15 March 2016;
• In short. almost five times as many deaths have been recorded on this route this year compared to 1 January – 15 March 2016, which represents a 396 percent increase;
• Only 2 deaths have been recorded in the Eastern Mediterranean this year, compared to 362 between 1 January and 15 March 2016;
• This represents a 99.4 per cent decrease in deaths this year on the Eastern Mediterranean compared to 1 January – 15 March 2016.

Worldwide, Missing Migrants reports fatalities on this date are approaching 1,000, with the Mediterranean accounting for the largest proportion of deaths – 525 of 973 (see chart, below).

Missing Migrants recorded 151 deaths in North Africa, part of a release of new data from the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat’s Mixed Migration Monitoring Mechanism Initiative dating back to November 2016. Black explained these new data: “Of the 198 recorded through March 16, 2017, 110 (or 56 percent) of deaths occurred in Libya; 70 (or 35 percent) occurred in Sudan. Overall, about 45 percent of these fatalities were reported to have occurred in deserts across Libya, Sudan, and Egypt.”

US-Mexico border deaths have been recorded this year at a rate of nearly one per day – 61 in 74 days – which is well ahead of 2016’s total, 47, at this point last year.

For all of 2016, Missing Migrants reported 400 border deaths – a daily rate just slightly ahead of 2017’s thus far. With summer, just weeks away, IOM is concerned the death toll along the border could climb past last year’s total. IOM researchers note that Mexico has recorded 12 drowning deaths of migrants so far this year along the country’s river border with Texas. Last year researchers counted 36 Texas river drownings of migrants – another indicator that deaths are occurring at a faster pace this year, despite a drop in overall traffic.

Meanwhile, deaths in the Caribbean Sea basin in 2017 have reached 81 through March 16, more than three times last year’s total now. IOM’s Global Migration of Data Analysis Centre noted that in all of 2016, 105 migrants died or went missing in the Caribbean Sea, which was an increase of 89 percent over the 55 deaths recorded in 2015.

The total number of immigrant fatalities in 2016 was recorded in 14 incidents, while there were 8 incidents in 2015 and 10 in 2014. There have been only two major drowning incidents reported in the region so far in 2017.

A complete analysis of 2016 Migrant Deaths and Disappearances Worldwide follows below:

Deaths of Migrants & Refugees: 1 January 2016 - 16 March 2016 vs. 1 January - 16 March 2017

For the latest Mediterranean Update infographic:
http://migration.iom.int/docs/MMP/170317_Mediterranean_Update.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:
Joel Millman at IOM Geneva, Tel: +41 79 103 8720, Email: jmillman@iom.int
Flavio Di Giacomo at IOM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int
Sabine Schneider at IOM Germany, Tel: +49 30 278 778 17 Email: sschneider@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
Abby Dwommoh, IOM Turkey, Tel. (Direct): +90 (0)312 454 3048, Mobile: +90 (533) 698 7285, Email: adwommoh@iom.int, or Mazen Aboulhosn, Tel: +9031245-51202, Email: maboulhosn@iom.int
IOM Libya: Othman Belbeisi, Tel: +216 29 600389, Email: obelbeisi@iom.int  or Christine Petré, Tel. (Direct):  +216 29 240 448, Email: chpetre@iom.int
Hicham Hasnaoui at IOM Morocco, Tel: + 212 5 37 65 28 81, Email: hhasnaoui@iom.int

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