Italy - IOM reports that 288,005 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 4 September, a total that does not include hundreds still on their way to Italian ports after being rescued Sunday and Monday in the Channel of Sicily. In 2016 almost all migrant and refugee landings in the Mediterranean were to Greece and Italy, where 116,861 migrants and refugees have been recorded through Sunday.

Between 1 August and 4 September 23,087 landings of migrants and refugees to Italy have been recorded, which is a daily average of about 660 men, women and children, compared with 93,774 through the first seven months of 2016, during which the daily average was around 440 arrivals. Nonetheless, with the end of the busy summer season approaching, total migrant and refugee arrivals in the Mediterranean in 2016 are nearly 100,000 lower than at this time in 2015. This is due mainly to the sharp drop in arrivals to Greece since late March this year.

At the same time confirmed Mediterranean fatalities among migrants and refugees stands this morning at 3,176 – a figure that does not include 15 bodies reportedly recovered Monday. Through today (06/09), some 3,176 Mediterranean deaths are almost 500 more than those recorded through 6 September 2015 indicating that while total arrivals are now lower than they were at this time last year, the number of reported deaths is significantly higher.

For latest arrivals and fatalities in the Mediterranean, please visit: http://migration.iom.int/europe
Learn more about Missing Migrants Project at: http://missingmigrants.iom.int

For further information please contact:
Flavio Di Giacomo at IOM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int
IOM Greece: Daniel Esdras, Tel: +30 210 9912174, Email:  iomathens@iom.int  or Kelly Namia, Tel: +30 210 9919040, +30 210 9912174, Email: knamia@iom.int
Julia Black, Global Migration Data Analysis Centre, Tel: +49 30 278 778 27, Email: jblack@iom.int
Abby Dwommoh at IOM Turkey, Tel: +903124551202, Email: adwommoh@iom.int
Amr Taha at IOM Egypt. Tel: +202-27365140, Email: iomegypt@iom.int 
Joel Millman at IOM Geneva, Tel: +41.79.103-8720, Email: jmillman@iom.int
IOM Libya. Othman Belbeisi, Tel +216 29 600389, Email: obelbeisi@iom.int  or Ashraf Hassan, Tel: +216297 94707, Email: ashassan@iom.int

For further information or interview requests in French:
Florence Kim, OIM Genève, Tel: +41 79 103 03 42, Email: fkim@iom.int
Flavio Di Giacomo, OIM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996 Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int