Switzerland - IOM reports that 317,209 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 12 October, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy. Some 168,427 people have arrived in Greece and 144,950 in Italy during 2016. The total is well below the number of arrivals at this point in 2015, when over 500,000 migrants and refugees had made the journey.

Deaths, on the other hand, are out-pacing last year’s totals by a significant margin. Today’s total of 3,632 includes the remains of 21 migrants discovered off the coast of Libya in two incidents in September and October, and reported to IOM Libya this week.

The 3,632 total does not include an additional 17 missing migrants reported by IOM Rome on Thursday, based on reports this week from rescue ships still at sea. If those are confirmed when survivors arrive in port today, the total Mediterranean death toll would rise to almost 3,650 in 2016 – with approximately 11 weeks remaining until year’s end.

Total arrivals by sea and deaths in the Mediterranean 2015-2016

Data on deaths of migrants compiled by GMDAC.
All numbers are minimum estimates.
Arrivals based on data from respective governments and IOM field offices.
*The change in the Central Med number is due to 21 bodies reported by IOM Libya

Last year, according to newly revised figures from IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, Mediterranean routes saw the deaths or disappearance of 3,702 people – or just 50 more than have occurred in less than ten months of 2016.

Moreover, IOM in 2015 recorded 2,794 deaths on the dangerous Central Mediterranean route linking North Africa to Italy. That figure already has been surpassed in 2016 by over 360 fatalities.

IOM Italy on Thursday reported 423 migrants have been rescued in the Channel of Sicily and brought to land since Monday. IOM field officers have also been notified of a rescue operation involving a boat carrying 130 people on Thursday. Some 113 migrants were rescued and are being brought to Pozzallo.

For the latest Mediterranean Update infographic:
http://migration.iom.int/docs/Mediterranean_Update_14_October_2016.pdf
For latest arrivals and fatalities in the Mediterranean, please visit: http://migration.iom.int/europe
Learn more about 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: aboulhosn@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
Christine Beshay, IOM Egypt. Tel: + 20 2 273 651 40/1 Email: cbeshay@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