Migrant Arrivals in Mediterranean Reach 302,149; Deaths at Sea: 3,501
Italy - IOM reports that 302,149 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 25 September, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy.
By comparison through first nine months of 2015, a total of 508,347 arrivals were recorded crossing the Mediterranean – some 206,000 more than in 2016 thus far.
IOM Rome this week reports that from Friday through Sunday 1,407 migrants and refugees were rescued in the Channel of Sicily. According to the latest data from Italy’s Ministry of Interior, there have been 131,974 arrivals by sea in Italy this year. This is 2 percent more than last year’s figure of 129,375 during the same period in 2015.
While arrivals to Italy in 2016 largely have tracked 2015’s monthly arrival patterns, those to Greece have diverged sharply – with many fewer migrants and refugees coming from Turkey this year compared to last.
IOM Athens this week reports just 51 arrivals in the Greek islands since Friday, bringing 2016’s total to 166,342 – or fewer than 20,000 since late March. Prior to that, some 50,000 migrants and refugees were arriving in Greece by sea from Turkey monthly.
Nonetheless, while total arrival numbers are down, fatalities among Mediterranean migrants and refugees now stand through this past weekend at 3,501 – exceeding by almost 600 the total recorded during the same period last year. According IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, Mediterranean fatalities for last year stood at 2,926 through 25 September 2015.
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ARRIVALS IN EUROPE: WHERE ARE THEY TODAY? Stranded Migrants in the Western Balkans – The total number of stranded migrants and refugees in Greece and the Western Balkans is now 71,971, a 53 percent increase since the implementation of the EU–Turkey agreement on the 10 March 2016. In Greece, there was a 42 percent increase during the period. Bulgaria also recorded an increase of around 660 percent between 10 March and 15 September from 863 to 6,582. IOM Italy - According to the Italian Ministry of Interior, around 158,387 migrants and refugees were living in formal reception centres in Italy as of 20 September. Relocation Updates – As of 21 September, a total of 5,297 migrants have been relocated from Greece (4,140) and Italy (1,157). IOM Turkey: Readmissions - According to the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), as of 26 September, a total of 509 migrants were returned from Greece to Turkey as a part of the EU–Turkey agreement. During the same period, 1,614 Syrian refugees were resettled from Turkey to 13 European countries. The majority were resettled to Germany (609), Sweden (269), France (228) and the Netherlands (170). IOM Bulgaria – From the beginning of the year through 22 September, 14,132 undocumented migrants were identified in Bulgaria. Of these, 3,887 were identified on exit, 3,883 on entry (3,441 entering from Turkey) and 6,362 inside the country. |
For the latest Mediterranean Update infographic:
http://migration.iom.int/docs/Mediterranean_Update_27_September_2016.pdf
For the latest Mixed Migration Flows Compilation Report on the Mediterranean and Beyond: http://bit.ly/2cyjWsW
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 GMDAC, Berlin, Tel: +49 30 278 778 27, Email: jblack@iom.int
Amr Taha at IOM Egypt. Tel: +202-27365140, Email: iomegypt@iom.int
IOM Geneva: Joel Millman, Tel: +41.79.103-8720, Email: jmillman@iom.int or Daniel Szabo, Tel: +41.76.768.77.03 Email: dszabo@iom.int, or dtmsupport@iom.iont
IOM Turkey: Email: mediaiomturkey@iom.int
IOM Libya. Othman Belbeisi, Tel: +216 29 600389, Email: obelbeisi@iom.int or Ashraf Hassan, Tel: +216297 94707, Email: ashassan@iom.int
Radoslav Stamenkov at IOM Bulgaria, Tel: +359 886 177 053; Email: rstamenkov@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