The UN's International Organization for MIgration (IOM) released data showing that 27,482 migrants and refugees came to Europe by sea in the first 20 weeks of 2018. It said that 38% of that total arrived in Italy and Greece, while 23% arrived in Spain. Arrivals through Mediterranean crossings thus far in 2018 are less than half compared to those over the same period in 2017 (58,921) and less than 15% of the total arrivals in the same period in 2016 (190,977).
The IOM's Missing Migrants project estimates that 636 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year.
The numbers in Italy
The UN agency said in a statement that in the month of May arrivals to Italy ranked third, behind both Spain and Greece. It said those countries recorded nearly two and a half times more arrivals than Italy. IOM Rome's Flavio Di Giacomo said the 10,659 migrants registered as having arrived by sea to Italy this year is an amount over 78% less than that reported last year in the same period, when 49,060 irregular migrants and refugees arrived in Italy. This total represents a 67% drop compared to the 32,292 arriving over the same period of time in 2016. Arrivals to Italy through the first three weeks of May were about one-tenth of last year's May volume, and one-sixth of that of May 2016.
Arrivals in Spain and Greece
IOM Greece's Kelly Namia said the Hellenic Coast Guard shared details of four incidents requiring search and rescue operations from May 16-19 off the islands of Lesvos, Samos and Rhodes. The Coast Guard rescued 52 migrants and transferred them to those islands. Namia said in addition to the 52 who were rescued, another 410 migrants arrived during the four days, landing in Samos, Chios, Kos and Rhodes. That brought to 10,478 the total number of irregular migrants entering Greece via sea since January 1. IOM Spain's Ana Dodevska said 1,671 migrants were rescued on the Western Mediterranean route through 20 days in May, compared with 835 for the entire month of May last year. That brings to 6,298 the total number of men, women and children who have been rescued trying to enter Spain by sea this year.