Mediterranean migrant arrivals pretty near to 100,000 since Jan

11:31, 1 July 2017

The International Organisation for Migration, IOM, has reported that 95,768 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 29th June, with almost 85 percent arriving in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece, Cyprus and Spain. This compares with 230,230 arrivals across the region through 30th June 2016. Kazinform has learnt from WAM .

The UN Migration Agency Rome spokesperson Flavio Di Giacomo said that 11,639 migrants and refugees were rescued at sea between 24th and 28th June. He also reported that while total arrivals to Italy for this year along the Central Mediterranean route are running about 18 percent ahead of last year's totals, arrivals for the month of June are virtually identical to similar periods in 2016 and 2015.

Kelly Namia of IOM Athens added that through 22nd to 28th June a total of 783 migrants and refugees landed on the Greek islands.

IOM Libya's Christine Petre said 28th June, 144 migrants were rescued off Azzawya. On the same day, the remains of 29 migrants were discovered in Tajura, east of the Libyan capital Tripoli.

IOM Libya's latest figures indicate that, so far in 2017, 10,663 migrants have been rescued in Libyan waters while the remains of 336 women, men and children have been found along the coast.

Worldwide, the IOM Missing Migrants Project, MMP, reports that there have been 2,967 fatalities through 28th June with the Mediterranean region accounting for the largest proportion of deaths, over 70 percent of the global total.

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