By Carlotta Duken.
10th September 2015 – An update on the newest developments in the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.
In the past two days, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports on the persistent flow of refugees to Europe’s Mediterranean coasts.
While the coasts of Malta and Spain did not register any new arrivals in that short period, the situation in Italy and Greece remain unchanged, counting thousands of new arrivals every day.
Only this year, as estimated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), approximately 432,761 refugees arrived on the Mediterranean coast, where of 2,760 did not survive their journey. Italy and Greece remain the two countries which are most affected by large numbers of refugee. 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. Currently, the main departure country for people arriving in Italy is Lybia.
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 925% and counting. 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.
