The latest on refugee traffic to Europe

During the first seven month of 2017, 119,300 refugees and migrants have arrived by sea and land to Europe, mainly through Greece, Italy, and Spain.

There is now a decrease in the number of refugees and migrants entering Europe via Italy (by 43%) compared to the same month last year, coupled with an increase through the Western Mediterranean route to Spain by more than triple. Arrivals to Spain however remain much smaller than those arriving via the Central Mediterranean route.

Meanwhile arrivals through the Eastern Mediterranean route to Greece increased during July 2017 in comparison to last year. Refugees mainly originate from Syria (37%) and Iraq (13%). While the number of sea crossings between January and April this year was vastly lower (97%) than during the same period in 2016, the number of arrivals between May and July this year was 37% higher than in the same three-month period last year.

[UN High Commission for Refugees]

This entry was posted in Humanitarian Aid, International Cooperation by Grant Montgomery.