7th September 2015 -The newest developments in the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean are cause for concern.
Recent numbers confirm the overall increase in the number of refugees that flee to Europe’s southern borders, namely Italy, Malta, Greece and Spain. Only this year, as estimated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), approximately 378,000 refugees arrived on the Mediterranean coast, whereof 2,760 did not survive their journey. The countries most affected by the refugee crisis are Greece and Italy.
In both countries the number of refugees increased between 2014 and 2015, challenging both countries’ capacities and capabilities to manage the current situation.
The IOM supports Italian and Greek officials on site, providing legal assistance to those arriving by sea, monitoring their reception conditions, supporting vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied minors, elderly migrants, migrants with medical needs and families with children which are then referred to authorities to receive the necessary care.
In Italy, the number of refugees remains steadily high. Most refugees land on Sicily, Lampedusa, Calabria or Apulia. Above all, they take the central Mediterranean route and come from Western and Eastern African countries, Bangladesh and Syria. In Greece, the surge in refugees is the most severe among the Mediterranean countries, whereby the number of refugees in this exceeds the ones from last year by 800%. Most refugees landing on Greek soil are from Syria and Afghanistan. They take the Eastern Mediterranean route and arrive at the islands of Lesvos, Kos, Samos, Kalymnos, Megisti, Symi and Chios.
