Developments
By the end of June 2017, more than 100,000 migrants from Middle East, Asia and Africa reached Europe. The total number of registered sea and land arrivals to Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Bulgaria as of 30 June stands at 101,559 representing a 58% decrease when compared to the figure reported at the end of June 2016 (239,925). The decrease is mainly caused by a stark decline in the overall arrivals through the two main entry points in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Bulgaria. Greece received 93% less migrants in 2017 when compared to the end of June 2016, 160,115 vs. 10,679 respectively, with the reverse dynamic in arrivals between first and second quarter in 2017 and 2016. Namely, while significant decrease has been observed after March 2016 (mainly due to the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement), from the total of 152,617 in Q1 to 7,498 by the end of Q2 2016, a 42% increase is noticed in arrivals between the first and second quarter of 2017 , from 4,407 to 6,272 respectively. In addition, land arrivals to Bulgaria also dropped from 4,954 reported by the end of the second quarter of 2016, to 391 recorded during the same period in 2017.
In contrast to that, the available data for other countries of first arrival - Italy, Spain and Cyprus- shows an increase. As of 30 June 2017 Italian Ministry of Interior registered 83,752 new arrivals which is the highest number recorded for this period since 2014. It represents a 19% increase compared to June 2016 and 31% increase compared to June 2014. Spain has seen a 40% increase, from 4,606 in 2016 to 6,464 in 2017, while authorities in Cyprus reported 28 arrivals in the second quarter of 2016 and total of 273 by the end of June 2017.
Similarly, the number of dead and missing migrants is still high. As of 30 June 2017, a total of 2,256 migrants have been reported dead or missing (23% decrease compared to 2016). The Central Mediterranean route is still the most perilous one with 2,158 deaths recorded since January 2017.
Demographic profile of registered nationalities in Greece and Italy is notably different following already geographically established transit routes. Hence, migrants from Middle East and Central Asia comprise the majority of registered arrivals to Greece (62%), whereas African nationals represent the highest share of arrivals to Italy (min. 67%).
Migrants from Nigeria represent 17% of all migrants who arrived to Italy as of 30 June 2017. Comprising a 10% of all arrivals, Bangladeshi nationals represent* the second largest group, exceeding the share of Guinean migrants whose share decreased to 9% (from 13% reported in Q1). Migrants from Cote d´Ivoire comprise another 9% followed by migrants from the Gambia (6%), Senegal (6%) and Mali (6%). Arrivals to Italy are marked with a high percentage of children (15%), especially those travelling as unacompanied and separated. Since the beginning of this year,a total of 12, 239 children arrived to Italy. The vast majority (11,406) were unaccompanied and separated children mostly from Western Africa (Guinea, Cote d´Ivoire, the Gambia) and Bangladesh. Another 11% of migrants are adult females while adult males comprise 74% of the overall arrivals.
In Greece, increasing share of arrivals is consisted of Syrians (36%), Iraqi (13%) and Pakistani (7%) nationals. An interesting increase is observed in arrivals from Congo which represent 7% (697) of all arrivals at the end of June - a 102% increase compared to the same period in 2016. For the remaining 37% the shares seems to be rather equally distributed (>2%) among more than 55 different nationalities.