Italy - IOM reports that 291,175 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 7 September. In 2016 almost all migrant and refugee landings in the Mediterranean have been to Greece and Italy.

Although the total number of arrivals so far this year (291,175) are almost 60,000 less than the same period last year (350,504 up to 30 August), mainly due to the sharp drop in arrivals to Greece since earlier in the year, the number of deaths is higher compared to last year.

Through 7 September, the estimated 3,198 Mediterranean deaths are over 630 more than the 2,656 recorded between 1 January and 31 August 2015. This indicates that while total arrivals are now lower than they were at this time last year, the number of reported deaths is significantly higher.

Since IOM’s last Mediterranean arrivals update on Tuesday, about 2,889 migrants have been rescued in the Channel of Sicily. According to official figures from the Italian Ministry of Interior, 124,244 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea to Italy this year. This is an increase of almost 2 percent compared to the same period last year, when arrivals were 121,973.

Meanwhile in Greece, on 5 and 6 September 241 arrivals by sea to Lesvos, Samos, Chios and Kalymnos were registered. This again confirms the drastic decrease in the number of arrivals in Greece since March this year.

According to data collected by IOM Regional Office in the Greek islands, it is estimated that the migrants arriving in Greece by sea this year, were approximately 42 percent male, 21 percent female and 37 percent children.

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, Global Migration Data Analysis Centre, Tel: +49 30 278 778 27, Email: jblack@iom.int
Abby Dwommoh at IOM Turkey, Tel: +903124551202, Email: adwommoh@iom.int  
Amr Taha at IOM Egypt. Tel: +202-27365140, Email: iomegypt@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 further 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