Switzerland - IOM reports that 318,816 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 16 October, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy. Some 168,689 people have arrived in Greece and 145,128 in Italy during 2016.

The total is well below the number of arrivals at this point in 2015, when over 612,000 migrants and refugees had made the journey – more than three-quarters of them to Greece.

Deaths, on the other hand, are out-pacing last year’s totals by a significant margin. Today’s total of 3,649 is 532 more than were recorded through mid-October last year.

Data on deaths of migrants compiled by GMDAC.
All numbers are minimum estimates.
Arrivals based on data from respective governments and IOM field offices.
*Arrivals by sea to Italy are updated to 14 October 2016

IOM Italy on Monday that according to most up-to-date figures (as of 14/10) from Italy’s Ministry of Interior migrants arriving by sea this year represent an increase of 5.52 percent compared to last year in the same period.

IOM Athens reported the 262 migrants and refugees have landed in Greece since last Thursday (13/10). A year ago IOM reported that on Wednesday 14th October 2015, a wooden boat carrying 24 migrants capsized off the Turkish coast, resulting in the rescue of 21 migrants and the deaths of three people – a Syrian woman and her two children.

During the first 16 days of October 2015, IOM reported more than 68,000 migrants arrived in Greece by sea, the majority reaching the island of Lesvos (41,954), with smaller groups arriving in Samos (10,283) and Chios (6,393).

For the latest Mediterranean Update infographic:
http://migration.iom.int/docs/Mediterranean_Update_18_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