The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported a significant decline in the number of migrants arriving in Europe this year.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported a significant decline in the number of migrants arriving in Europe this year. However, migrant deaths along the Central Mediterranean routes continue to rise. According to a new report released by the organization, around 60,000 migrants and refugees have reached Europe by sea so far this year. This is 39 percent lower than the 98,040 people who arrived in Europe during the same period last year. At least 2,292 people have died or gone missing while attempting to reach Europe by sea compared with 1,999 during the same period last year. IOM Director General Amy Pope said the figures tell two stories at the same time. Although the number of people reaching Europe by sea has declined compared with last year, people seeking a safer future are still dying or going missing in alarming numbers.
The report said the most significant decline in the number of migrants arriving in Europe was recorded among those reaching Italy via the Central Mediterranean route. Their number fell from 48,231 to 21,393. However, deaths along this route increased from 844 to 996. A total of 20,428 people reached Greece, compared with 25,427 during the same period last year. Deaths along the Eastern Mediterranean route to Greece increased from 284 to 417. The number of people arriving in Spain stood at 16,794, traveling via the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean routes. During the same period last year, the figure was 22,855. However, the number of deaths along these routes remained high, with 879 people losing their lives at sea. According to the organization, many incidents involving shipwrecks and missing people are never reported. Therefore, the actual number of deaths could be considerably higher than official figures.
The interception of migrants at sea also continues on a large scale. Based on figures provided by the Libyan Coast Guard, the IOM reported that 17,067 migrants were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya from January through mid-September. Amy Pope said that behind every figure is a person, a family and a community. She said that despite the decline in arrivals in Europe, the increase in deaths indicates that migrants are taking increasingly dangerous routes. Addressing the issue requires sustained international cooperation to save lives, protect people on the move, combat human trafficking and exploitation, and help expand safe and regular migration pathways. The IOM is working with governments, partner organizations and local communities in migrants’ countries of origin, transit countries and destination countries to address the issue. Effective protection, support for voluntary returns and reintegration, expanding regular migration pathways, and reducing the risks associated with migration are at the center of these efforts.
