FRAN QUARTERLY – ONE IN FIVE MIGRANTS ENTERING EU ARRIVED ON LESBOS IN Q2
2015-10-07
Close to one out of every five migrants who entered the European Union in the second quarter arrived through the Greek island of Lesbos, according to FRAN Quarterly report prepared by Frontex.
The trend was even more pronounced among Pakistani migrants, with two of every five Pakistani nationals coming through the Aegean island.
Different nationalities of migrants also take diverse routes to the islands. For example, most Afghan migrants arrive at the Turkish coast directly from Istanbul via the city of Canakkale at departure areas north of Lesbos. Most Syrians and other migrants, on the other hand, arrive from Izmir – the main hub for migrants coming on buses from Istanbul, Mersin or other places in Turkey.
Syrians, mainly coming through Izmir, made up some 80 percent of migrants arriving on Chios Island in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the majority of the people coming to Samos were Afghans.