PRESS RELEASE
PLACE: Geneva
DATE: 1 July 2015
UNHCR News
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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
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UNHCR News
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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.”
For photos, videos and other media materials: http://www.unhcr.org/medsea15
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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