The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that 115.109 migrants, including refugees, entered Europe by sea by August 2, 2017, of which 83 percent came to Italy, while the rest arrived in Greece, Cyprus and Spain. This number of migrants is significantly lower compared to 261.228 cases recorded, by August 2, 2016.
According to the official statistics of the Italian Ministry of Interior, the IOM Field Office in Rome reports that 95.215 migrants have arrived in Italy via the sea, which is 2,73% less than last year. The migration to Italy was reduced in the middle of the summer, and fewer deaths were reported (almost half compared to the statistics from 2015 and 2016).
This week, Italian authorities have published a list of the ten countries from which the largest number of migrants come from Nigeria, followed by Bangladesh, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Mali. Bangladesh, Ivory Coast and Morocco are the countries from which there has been a significant increase in the number of migrants to Italy. The countries from which fewer migrants come are Eritrea (the number is reduced by more than 50%), and Nigeria, Sudan and Gambia.
Flavio Di Giacomo of the IOM further states that the number of migrations to Italy during July is 11.461, which is a decrease of more than 50% compared to July 2016 (23.552).
The number of deaths among migrants in the Mediterranean is 2.397, it is also a decrease compared to the period of the previous year. Nevertheless, this year is the fourth consecutive year in which the deaths of migrants amount to more than 2,350 people.
