A reported 86,436 migrants and refugees reached Europe by sea in 2018 as of October 7, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The UN agency also said that 1,783 people died this year while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
The UN agency International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that 86,436 migrants and refugees reached Europe by sea in 2018, as of October 7. The number is significantly lower compared to the 140,272 arrivals registered over the same period last year and the 318,207 recorded in 2016.
The UN agency also said in a statement that 1,783 people so far have died in the Mediterranean this year.
Data on Spain
The UN agency's representative in Spain, Ana Dodevska, reported Monday that the total number of arrivals by sea in 2018 in the country were 39,445 men, women and children. Arrivals in October were on average nearly 300 a day, including 1,200 migrants who were rescued last weekend. With 46 percent of arrivals during the year, Spain continues to be the main destination this year, with double the volume of arrivals in October compared to Greece and over seven times the number recorded in Italy. This year, the country received more irregular migrants by sea than in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 combined together.
The situation in Italy and Greece
The IOM representative in Italy, Flavio Di Giacomo, reported that some 21,313 irregular migrants reached Italy by sea this year. Many left from different points of departure in Libya. In October last year migrants mainly reached Italy from North Africa with an average of nearly 1,500 people a week, about five times more than the rate recorded this year. Two years ago, the numbers were even higher - nearly 4,000 a week.IOM also reported that a total of 24,164 migrants reached Greece by sea as of October 7.