Greece - Despite worsening weather conditions, large numbers of migrants and refugees are continuing to arrive in Greece by sea from Turkey. According to Greek police and IOM field staff, over 30,000 migrants and refugees have arrived since the beginning of December. Some 735,000 migrants crossed into Greece the first 11 months of the year.

The number of fatalities in the Aegean has also risen in December. Some 25 people are believed to have died in two shipwrecks off the coasts of Farmakonisi on December 3rd and December 9th. Of them, 15 are still missing.

The total number of recorded migrant deaths in the Mediterranean this year now stands at 3,671. This includes 2,889 on the Central route from North Africa to Italy; 684 on the Eastern route from Turkey to Greece; and 94 on the route from West Africa.

At Greece’s border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), police report that 23,707 Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans crossed border between 30th November and 8th December. Other nationalities were turned back.

At the Idomeni Exit Camp on the Greek side of the border, Greek police report that some 2,300 stranded migrants, mainly from Pakistan, Somalia, Morocco, Bangladesh and Algeria, have now been moved by bus to open accommodation centres in Athens.

IOM Greece has reported growing interest in its Assisted Voluntary Return project, which allows migrants to return to their country of origin with safety and dignity by providing free air tickets.

Meanwhile in Italy, IOM Rome reports that rough seas and bad weather has reduced the number of migrant arrivals from North Africa. On Wednesday 196 migrants were rescued at sea, according to the Italian Coast Guard.

IOM is also continuing to assist in the relocation of newly arrived migrants and refugees. Today 14 Eritrean men will be relocated from Italy to Finland. IOM Rome staff briefed them on their country of destination and an IOM interpreter will fly them to Helsinki. They will be then transferred to other Finnish cities, where they will be able to apply for asylum.

On Thursday, another 24 Syrian and Iraqi refugees were relocated from Greece to Finland. IOM Rome staff briefed them prior to departure and they were accompanied by an IOM escort. All were reportedly very happy to be relocated to Northern Europe.

Mediterranean Developments
  
Arrivals by Sea and Deaths in the Mediterranean: 1 Jan. – 10 Dec. 2015

                       
*As of 8 December. Data on migrant deaths is compiled by IOM research. All numbers are minimum estimates. Arrivals estimates are based on data from respective governments and IOM field offices.

Data for Greece is collected by IOM staff in Greece and the Greek authorities (1/1/2015 – 09/12/2015). Data for Italy through 30 October is from the Italian Ministry of Interior (MoI); arrivals from 1 Nov. are IOM estimates. Data for Spain are until 15 Oct. Data for Malta and Cyprus are until 30 October.

Arrivals BY SEA TO Italy

*Data as of 30 Oct. is from the Italian Ministry of Interior (MoI). Arrivals from 1 Nov. are IOM estimates.
·       16 landings have taken place since 4 December. Some 5,305 migrants were rescued and brought to the ports of Lampedusa, Pozzallo, Augusta, Catania, Cagliari, Reggio Calabria.
·       IOM staff is deployed at the main landing points in Sicily (including Lampedusa), Calabria and Apulia and provides legal assistance to those arriving by sea, monitors the reception conditions and supports the authorities in the identification of vulnerable groups. Data on arrivals at landing points where IOM staff is not present is not included in November’s tally.

Ø  October 2015: Total 8,916 (Data provided by Italian MoI)

Ø  November 2015: Total 2,127 (IOM est.)

Ø  December 2015: To date 5,305 (IOM est.as of 10 December)

Ø  Main Countries of Origin: Eritrea, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Bangladesh, Ghana.                                                                                                                                                                           
Ø  Main departure country: Libya (some departures from Egypt, Greece, and Turkey)

Ø 2014 Totals: 170,100 arrived in Italy

Arrivals BY SEA TO GREECE

* Unofficial data on maritime arrivals collected by IOM staff in Greece and Greek authorities (1/1/2015-9/12/2015).
Ø  4,180 new arrivals were registered on 9 December. (Numbers are not the actual daily arrivals, but the number of migrants officially recorded by the Greek authorities post-arrival on that day. This procedure may take a few days.)

Ø  Main countries of origin: Syria and Afghanistan.
                                                                                                                           
Ø  Main departure country: Turkey

Ø  Main landing points: Islands of Lesvos, Kos, Samos, Rhodes, Kalymnos, Megisti, Leros and Chios.

Ø  IOM staff is present on Crete, Samos, Kos and Lesvos, working closely with authorities to identify vulnerable migrants, including unaccompanied minors, the elderly, migrants with medical needs and families with children. Vulnerable groups are referred to authorities in order to receive the necessary care.

Ø 2014 Totals: 34,442 people arrived by sea to Greece between 1 January and 31 December 2014.

                      Ø  September 2015: Total 147,671

Ø  October 2015: Total  217,936
  

For further information please contact IOM Greece. Daniel Esdras, Tel: +30 210 9912174, Email: iomathens@iom.int  or Kelly Namia, Tel: +302109919040, +302109912174, Email: knamia@iom.int. Or Flavio Di Giacomo at IOM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int