Mediterranean migrant arrivals reach 133,640 in 2017

International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a report that 133,640 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 20 September, with over 75 per cent arriving in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

The report said this compares with 300,767 arrivals across the region through the same period last year.

IOM Rome reported on Thursday, September 21 that, according to official figures of the Italian Ministry of Interior, 102,942 migrants have arrived by sea this year, which is around 21 percent fewer than arrived by this same time last year.

The total number of fatalities for the moment has not been confirmed by IOM; therefore, no fatalities data has been included in this day's tables.

IOM Libya’s Christine Petré reported that on September 20, about 40 migrants were rescued off Zuwara by the Libyan Coast Guard. Among the rescued migrants were five women and one child. The migrants come from Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal. Three of the migrants were transferred to Zuwara hospital.

She added the remains of seven migrants were found in connection with this rescue operation. So far this year, 16,567 migrants have been rescued in Libyan waters.

Source : Mena