Mediterranean Crisis 2015 at six months: refugee and migrant numbers highest on record
The large majority of the 137,000 people who crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe during the first six months of 2015 were fleeing from war, conflict or persecution, making the Mediterranean crisis primarily a refugee crisis, a UNHCR report released today concludes.
One third of the men, women and children who arrived by sea in Italy or Greece were from Syria, whose nationals are almost universally deemed to qualify for refugee status or other forms of protection. The second and third most common countries of origin are Afghanistan and Eritrea, whose nationals are also mostly considered to qualify for refugee status.
"As Europe debates the best way to deal with the rising crisis on the Mediterranean, we must be clear: most of the people arriving by sea in Europe are refugees, seeking protection from war and persecution," said António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Data received from Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain charts a 83 per cent increase in refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean from January to June - 137,000 compared to 75,000 in the same period last year. Historically, crossings significantly increase in the second half of the year, in particular over the summer months, so it is expected the numbers will continue to soar. Arrivals in the second half of 2014, for example, were almost double those of the first half.
The number of deaths at sea rose to record levels in April 2015, and then dropped dramatically in May and June. Between January and March, 479 refugees and migrants drowned or went missing, as opposed to 15 during the first three months of the year before. In April the situation took an even more terrible turn. In a number of concurrent wrecks, an unprecedented 1,308 refugees and migrants drowned or went missing in a single month (compared to 42 in April 2014). In May, the number of refugees and migrants drowned or missing at sea fell to 68, a quarter of the figure only one year earlier (226). The downward trend continued in June, which saw 12 deaths compared to 305 in 2014.
"The decline in people drowning over the past two months is encouraging; a sign that with the right policy, backed by an effective operational response, it is possible to save more lives at sea," said Guterres. "Nonetheless, we must stay vigilant. For the thousands of refugees and migrants who continue to cross the Mediterranean every week, the risks remain very real."
The report shows that the eastern Mediterranean route from Turkey into Greece has now surpassed the central Mediterranean route (from north Africa to Italy) as the main source of maritime arrivals.
The majority of those arriving in Greece are refugees from Syria. Many will have first fled for safety to neighbouring countries, such as Turkey and Lebanon. But after years of rising pressure and insufficient international support, the economies and infrastructure of many refugee-hosting countries are struggling to cope, making it increasingly difficult for refugees to find work, shelter, healthcare, and education. As humanitarian appeals to assist them go underfunded, many have no choice but to move on.
In Greece, a limited infrastructure providing less than 2,000 reception places has meant inadequate reception conditions for new arrivals. Many refugees and migrants continue their journey across The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia to and through Hungary. Every day, an average of over 1,000 people enter The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from Greece, compared with 200 just a few weeks ago. There are frequent reports of abuse and violence along the way by smugglers and criminal networks, as well as the increasing tightening of borders.
"Europe has a clear responsibility to help those seeking protection from war and persecution," said Guterres. "To deny that responsibility is to threaten the very building blocks of the humanitarian system Europe worked so hard to build. European countries must shoulder their fair share in responding to the refugee crisis, at home and abroad."
Media Contacts:
To speak to a UNHCR spokesperson about this report:
- Melissa Fleming (Geneva) +41 79 557 9122
- William Spindler (Geneva) +41 79 217 3011
- Andrej Mahecic (London) +44 78 8023 0985
- Carlotta Sami (Rome) + 39 335 679 4746
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Feature: Central Europe's first home for separated refugee children opens in Hungary
2 Jul 2003 ... BEKESCSABA, Hungary (UNHCR) - Afghan teenagers Abdullah, Raby and Reza, as well as 16-year-old Uday ... The new facility in south eastern Hungary town of Békéscsaba was officially opened on June 27 by ...... -
Syrians give back to the country that gave them refuge and hope
11 Dec 2014 ... BUDAPEST, Hungary, December 11 (UNHCR) - Standing in their modest apartment in the Hungarian capital, Syrian refugees Yasser and Abeer proudly display the instruments which they are using to build a ...... -
UNHCR applauds Austria and Germany as refugees march across Hungary
5 Sep 2015 ... Hungarian government's blanket refusal to let them take trains to Austria and Germany. It ended at dawn in the rain here at Nickelsdorf on the Austrian border the next morning. Overnight the Hungarian ...... -
General debate - Statements as made available
... Niger 16. Eswatini 17. Botswana 18. Rwanda 19. Central African Republic 20. Ireland 21. Liberia 22. Hungary 23. Republic of the Congo 24. United Republic of Tanzania 25. Armenia 26. Costa Rica 27. ...... -
UNHCR deeply concerned by Hungary plans to detain all asylum seekers
7 Mar 2017 ... UNHCR is deeply concerned at a new law which has been voted this morning at the Hungarian Parliament ... We already expressed serious concern about the physical barriers Hungary has already erected, ...... -
UNHCR saddened by man's death in Bicske, Hungary
5 Sep 2015 ... of a 50 year old man, on Friday, near a refugee reception centre in the Hungarian town of Bicske. ... UNHCR's Feixas Vihé added. "We urge the Hungarian authorities to put in place immediate and ...... -
At Serbian border, flow of refugees continued unabated into Hungary
8 Sep 2015 ... RÖSZKE, HUNGARY, Sept 7 (UNHCR) - Train tracks connect the two countries, and a razor wire fence ... A kilometre from the border, Hungarian police stopped them and directed them to a field. This was ...... -
Statement from Hungary
18 Dec 2019 ... -
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
... than 50 years and the Federation, then known as the League of Red Cross Societies, was given the Nansen Refugee Award in 1957 for its invaluable help in responding to the needs of Hungarian refugees. ......