Migrant arrivals in Europe in 2015 approach 900 000 mark
The number of migrants, including refugees, that have arrived in Europe by land and sea since the beginning of 2015 is more than 898 000, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
This is well over four times the number of arrivals in all of 2014. Of the total, an estimated 868 285 arrived by sea. IOM said that since the beginning of 2015, a total of 3551 migrants had drowned or otherwise were missing.
IOM said that in Greece, between November 12 and 19, there were a total of 28 775 newly-arrived migrants and refugees, a decrease of 26 per cent in comparison to arrivals in the previous week. Overall, by November 19, a total of 731 181 had arrived since January 2015.
On November 27, IOM said that, based on data gathered by the Hellenic Police and IOM field staff, it estimated that more than 110 000 migrants and refugees had arrived in Greece by sea since the beginning of November.
The sharp decrease in the number of arrivals witnessed last weekend – only 155 crossed on November 22 and 336 on November 23 – has now reversed and numbers have again picked up. On November 24, about 3516 people crossed and on November 25, about 5140.
IOM Greece’s Early Warning Information Sharing System, which tracks migrant flows in collaboration with IOM in the Western Balkans, estimates during November, about 105 000 people had left Greece for the Republic of Macedonia.
Syrians, Afghans and Iraqi nationals continue to cross Greece’s Idomeni border with Macedonia without significant delays, but other nationalities are being turned back. Iranian migrants are conducting a hunger strike as a protest at the border.
On November 26, migrants mainly from Morocco and Algeria rioted in protest against the Macedonian authorities. Several managed to cross the border, but were immediately caught and returned to Greece, according to IOM staffer Nikos Kyfonidis.
IOM said that between November 12 and 19, a total of 19 665 migrants and refugees had newly arrived in the Republic of Macedonia, representing a decrease of six per cent in comparison to arrivals in the previous week; overall 258 417 had arrived in Macedonia since June 2015.
In the November 12-19 period, there were 34 795 newly arrived migrants and refugees in Serbia. This represented a decrease of 17 per cent in comparison to arrivals in the previous week; overall 445 405 had arrived in Serbia since January 2015.
In Croatia between November 12 and 19, there were 37 984 newly arrived migrants and refugees. This was 13 per cent lower than the number of arrivals in the previous week. Overall, 408 517 had arrived in Croatia since September 2015.
In Slovenia, between November 12 and 19, there were 41 565 newly arrived migrants and refugees; representing am increase of eight per cent in comparison to arrivals in the previous week; overall 235 866 had arrived since October 2015.
In Hungary, between November 12 and 19, there were 91 newly registered arrivals of migrants and refugees, representing an increase of 50 per cent in comparison to registered arrivals in the previous week; overall 391 081 arrived since January 2015.
In Italy, there were 707 newly arrived migrants and refugees representing a decrease of 37 per cent
in comparison to arrivals in the previous week; overall 142 484arrived since January 2015.
IOM said that between November 12 and 19, Malta saw no new reported arrivals. Overall 106 had arrived since January 2015.
