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02 February 2016


A Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) team rescues migrants in the Aegean between Greece and Turkey (File photo). © MOAS.EU/Jason Florio

Migrant Deaths in January Top 360; Arrivals in Greece Top 62,000

Posted on Tue. Feb-02-2016

Greece - Fatalities of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean in January topped 360 due to a particularly deadly final weekend of the month, when over 100 men, women in and children died in the waters off Greece, Turkey and Italy.

The deaths of 70 migrants and refugees leaving Libya for Italy was reported to IOM’s Rome office on Saturday, the same day 39 people were reported missing, presumed drowned off Greece.

In what is now the fourth year of the Mediterranean’s migrant emergency, children were especially vulnerable during the past month. IOM estimates that 60 children under the age of 18 died on the so-called Eastern Mediterranean route, bringing to 330 the total number of minors drowning in those waters over the past five months.

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IOM distributes aid to families displaced by fighting in Syria’s northwestern Idleb governorate (File photo). © IOM 2015

IOM DG to Attend London Pledging Conference for Syria

Posted on Tue. Feb-02-2016

United Kingdom - IOM Director General William Lacy Swing will travel to London on Thursday 4th February for the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region 2016’ pledging conference. The event will be co-hosted by the UN, UK, Germany, Kuwait and Norway.

The conference aims to rally international financial support to address humanitarian and development needs inside Syria and the region, bringing together world leaders from around the globe in order to raise money to support those who have been affected by the ongoing Syria crisis.

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More IOM Headlines

Resettlement of Syrians from Lebanon to Canada Passes 8,000

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IOM Helps Iraqi Migrants Voluntarily Return Home from Belgium

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Internally Displaced Population Falls in Mali

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Ghana Assesses Ebola Preparedness at Points of Entry

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Six-week Ordeal Ends for Pacific Drifters

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IOM, UNDP Support Consolidation of Brazil’s Migration and Refugee Policy

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Elvira: "Crossing a border is like cutting the umbilical cord. At some point you start to grow new roots in a new place."
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Quote of the day

"Refugees can and should be part of the solution to many challenges our societies confront. They bring hope: the hope of a better life and a better future for their children and ours." – Ángel Gurría, OECD Secretary General. More here.







For the latest Mediterranean Update data on arrivals and fatalities please visit: http://migration.iom.int/europe #MigrationEurope
 

 


A global database tracking data on deceased and missing migrants worldwide.
Visit MissingMigrants.iom.int #MissingMigrants

Migration in the News

  • CNN, CBC Radio, Inquisitr, The Nation (Pakistan) and IRNA (Iran) reported the Europol’s claim that 10,000 migrant children who travelled to Europe are currently unaccounted for.

  • ThisisMoney reported that the number of migrants arriving in Greece was nearly 35 times higher in January 2016 than a year ago.
     

  • StraitsTimes reported that experts see the Rohingya migration from Myanmar and Bangladesh continuing in 2016, despite the fewer numbers of boat people boarding boats this winter compared to the same period last year.

  • Aljazeera America reported that growing numbers of people are calling for Greek islanders on the frontline of Europe’s migrant crisis to be awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.

  • MailOnline said that over 120 leading economists have condemned Britain’s response to the migration crisis and called on the UK to more to resolve the issue. They called current plans “morally unacceptable.”

  • Morningstar reported the rising death toll from Boko Haram’s rampage through a refugee camp in northeast Nigeria on 30 January. It cited IOM data on displacement caused by Boko Haram’s five-year insurgency.

Trending on the Internet

  • Breitbart posted video of outrage in a small German town in Saxony where the mayor told residents that local girls should stay away from certain areas and not “provoke” migrants to avoid sexual harassment.

  • The Telegraph reported that German authorities in Munich handed out swimming pool etiquette guides following reports of sexual harassment by migrants.

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