More Than 1 Million Migrants And Refugees Enter Europe In 2015: IOM
The symbolic milestone is driven by war, poverty and persecution in the Middle East and Africa.
12/22/2015 09:24 am ET
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Updated
8 hours ago
Santi Palacios/ASSOCIATED PRESS
More than 1 million refugees and "irregular migrants" have entered
Europe in this record-breaking year, the International Organization for
Migration said Tuesday.
GENEVA (AP) — More than 1 million refugees and "irregular migrants"
have entered Europe in this record-breaking year, the International
Organization for Migration said Tuesday, a symbolic milestone driven by
war, poverty and persecution in the Middle East and Africa.
With just days left in 2015, the Geneva-based intergovernmental
organization said 1,005,504 people had entered Europe as of Monday, more
than four times as many as last year. Almost all came by sea, while
3,692 others drowned trying to make the crossing.
IOM director-general William Lacy Swing urged European governments to make migration safer.
"We know migration is inevitable. It's necessary and it's desirable,"
he said, adding: "Migration must be legal, safe and secure for all —
both for the migrants themselves and the countries that will become
their new home."
Santi Palacios/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Almost all the refugees and migrants in question arrived to Europe by sea. Over 3,500 others drowned making the crossing.
The IOM compiles the numbers
from government records in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Malta and
Cyprus, spokesman Joel Millman said. He noted that the real number of
people entering Europe may be even larger, because authorities are
struggling to track all arrivals given the sheer volume.
Most of the people entered Europe via Greece, which took in more than
820,000 people this year, nearly all of them crossing from Turkey by
boat across the Aegean Sea. Another 150,000 came into Italy across the
Mediterranean from north Africa while smaller numbers crossed from
Turkey by land into neighboring Greece and Bulgaria. Much smaller
numbers arrived by boat to other Mediterranean countries.
Others — not accounted for in the IOM tally — crossed into Europe
across other borders, such as a route from Russia to Norway where a few
thousand people have crossed by bicycle.
About half of the people entering Europe were Syrians, while 20 percent were Afghans and 7 percent Iraqis, IOM said.
Of the deaths, 2,889 were people traveling from north Africa to
Italy, the IOM said, 706 drowned trying to cross the Aegean to Greece
and 72 died trying to reach Spain.
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
About half of the people entering Europe were Syrians, IOM said.
The war in Syria was
particularly key in driving the numbers of people moving into Europe to
levels not seen in half a century. European governments have struggled
to agree on a response, arguing about how welcoming they should be and
how best to manage the flows.
Over the summer, eastern European countries in particular opened and
closed their borders, leading to widespread confusion and frustration,
before a relatively orderly system emerged in the fall.
Germany and Sweden have welcomed the largest numbers of refugees.
Germany has seen around 1 million migrants arrive this year, but that
figure includes large numbers of people from eastern European countries.
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Javi Julio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A man carries a child on the shores of Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 29, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
A man wearing a thermal blanket reacts after arriving on Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 28, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
Syrians and Iraqis disembark on Lesbos, Greece, after arriving on a wooden boat from Turkey on Oct. 26, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
Women hug each other after they arrive to Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 29, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
An man rests on a beach after arriving on Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 19, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
Afghans warm up with thermal
blankets provided by volunteers at the village of Skala Sikaminias on
Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 22, 2015.
Santo Palacios/Associated Press
A man helps a girl disembark at Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 29, 2015.
Kostis Ntantamis/Associated Press
Refugees and migrants sit atop a heavily-listing small vessel on the way to Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 30, 2015.
Javi Julio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A woman and children arrive at Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 29, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
A group of Afghans arrive at Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 28, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
Migrants and refugees arrive at Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 28, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
Afghans arrive on Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 27, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
A woman takes a photograph after her arrival to Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 21, 2015.
Santi Palacios/Associated Press
A man holding a baby disembarks from a dinghy after arriving to Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 25, 2015.
Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty Images
A woman arrives on Lesbos, Greece, on Oct. 28, 2015.
Santi Palacios/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Santi Palacios/ASSOCIATED PRESS
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
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