The number of arrivals in Greece by sea has fallen in February due to bad weather. An estimated 5,110 migrants arrived in the first ten days of February, compared to 72,193 in the whole of January.

Last weekend’s high winds and low temperatures, which saw ferry services to the islands diverted due to rough seas, resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of migrants risking their lives trying to reach Greece.

IOM Greece staff say that only 84 migrants and refugees arrived on the islands from Turkey on February 5th and just seven on February 6th.

According to Greek police, some 44 per cent of January arrivals were Syrian, 27 per cent Afghan, and 17 per cent Iraqi. All three nationalities have been allowed to leave Greece and enter the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on route to Western Europe. The remaining 12 per cent included large numbers of Pakistanis and Iranians. Some 44 per cent of the arrivals were men, 22 per cent women and 34 per cent children. 

Mediterranean Developments

Arrivals by sea and deaths 1st January – 11th February 2016

1 Jan – 11 Feb 2016			1 Jan – 28 Feb 2015
Country	Arrivals	Deaths	Arrivals	Deaths
Greece	77,303*	320 (Eastern Med route)	3,952	428 (includes all Med routes)
Italy	5,898	90 (Central Med route)	7,882
Estimated Total	83,201	410	11,834	428

*Data for Greece is provided by IOM Greece and Greek authorities.

*Data for Italy is provided by the Italian Ministry of Interior.

Arrivals by sea and deaths in the Mediterranean - TOTAL 2015

Country	Arrivals	Deaths
Italy	153,842	2,892 (Central Med route)
Malta	106
Greece	853,650	806 (Eastern Med route)
Cyprus	269
Spain	3,845	72 (Western Med route)
Estimated Total	1,011,712	3,770

 

ARRIVALS BY SEA IN ITALY – MAIN COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN JANUARY 2015 vs JANUARY 2016(Source: Italian Ministry of Interior)
Main Countries of Origin			2015			2016
Nigeria			109			905
Gambia			451			676
Guinea			105			504
Senegal			428			493
Morocco			93			483
Mali			436			393
Côte d’Ivoire			131			332
Somalia			405			274
Total, All Countries of Origin			3,528			5,273
ARRIVALS BY SEA IN ITALY JANUARY – DECEMBER 2014 / 2015
	2014			2015
January	2,171			3,528
February	3,335			4,354
March	5,459			2,283
April	15,679			16,063
May	14,599			21,221
June	22,641			22,905
July	24,031			23,186
August	24,774			22,607
September	26,107			15,924
October	15,393			8,916
November	9,179			3,218
December	6,732			9,637
TOTAL	170,100			153,842
ARRIVALS BY SEA IN ITALY – MAIN COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN JANUARY – DECEMBER 2014 VS. 2015
Main Countries of Origin		2014			2015
Eritrea		34,329			39,162
Nigeria		9,000			22,237
Somalia		5,756			12,433
Sudan		3,139			8,932
Syria		42,323			7,448
Gambia		8,707			8,454
Total, All Countries of Origin		170,100			153,842

 

Arrivals by sea in Greece 2016

 

Arrivals by sea to GREECE - MAIN NATIONALITIES JAnuary- December 2015
Main Countries of Origin	Total
Syria	475,902
Afghanistan	205,858
Iraq	86,989
Pakistan	23,260
Iran	22,276