Greece - Despite worsening weather conditions, large numbers of migrants and refugees are continuing to arrive in Greece by sea from Turkey. According to Greek police and IOM field staff, over 30,000 migrants and refugees have arrived since the beginning of December. Some 735,000 migrants crossed into Greece the first 11 months of the year.
The number of fatalities in the Aegean has also risen in December. Some 25 people are believed to have died in two shipwrecks off the coasts of Farmakonisi on December 3rd and December 9th. Of them, 15 are still missing.
The total number of recorded migrant deaths in the Mediterranean this year now stands at 3,671. This includes 2,889 on the Central route from North Africa to Italy; 684 on the Eastern route from Turkey to Greece; and 94 on the route from West Africa.
At Greece’s border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), police report that 23,707 Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans crossed border between 30th November and 8th December. Other nationalities were turned back.
At the Idomeni Exit Camp on the Greek side of the border, Greek police report that some 2,300 stranded migrants, mainly from Pakistan, Somalia, Morocco, Bangladesh and Algeria, have now been moved by bus to open accommodation centres in Athens.
IOM Greece has reported growing interest in its Assisted Voluntary Return project, which allows migrants to return to their country of origin with safety and dignity by providing free air tickets.
Meanwhile in Italy, IOM Rome reports that rough seas and bad weather has reduced the number of migrant arrivals from North Africa. On Wednesday 196 migrants were rescued at sea, according to the Italian Coast Guard.
IOM is also continuing to assist in the relocation of newly arrived migrants and refugees. Today 14 Eritrean men will be relocated from Italy to Finland. IOM Rome staff briefed them on their country of destination and an IOM interpreter will fly them to Helsinki. They will be then transferred to other Finnish cities, where they will be able to apply for asylum.
On Thursday, another 24 Syrian and Iraqi refugees were relocated from Greece to Finland. IOM Rome staff briefed them prior to departure and they were accompanied by an IOM escort. All were reportedly very happy to be relocated to Northern Europe.
Read the full report here.