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Suleiman, Roula, Moulham, Kinana and baby Mohammad. Roula (left, back row) a hairdresser, relocated with her family from Greece to Portugal in February 2017. Photo: IOM 2017
IOM Welcomes Milestone as 10,000 Asylum Seekers Relocated from Greece under EU Plan
Posted on Fri. March 17, 2017
Greece - Over 10,000 asylum seekers have now been relocated from Greece to other European Union (EU) and Associated States since the start of the EU relocation programme according to IOM, which is implementing the scheme.
Since the beginning of March, 367 people left Greece for Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain bringing the total number of people relocated from Greece to 10,004. Another 475 people were relocated from Italy to Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Slovenia in the same period. This brings the total number of people relocated from both Italy and Greece to 14,439 since the scheme’s launch in October 2015.
IOM Deputy Director General Laura Thompson welcomed the new milestone and highlighted the benefits of the programme during an official visit to Greece this week.
“The unique strength of the EU Relocation programme lies in its double impact both at the political level and for individuals,” said Ambassador Thompson. “Not only does relocation demonstrate cooperation, solidarity and a genuine Union, it has also made a big difference for each of the nearly 14,500 people that have relocated from Greece and Italy to start new lives in other EU member states.”
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Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals Reach 19,722, Deaths: 525
Posted on Fri. March 17, 2017
Switzerland - IOM reports that 19,722 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 15 March, over 80 percent arriving in Italy and the rest in Spain and Greece. This compares with 154,416 through the first 74 days of 2016.
These arrival numbers do not include 333 migrants that came to port in Italy on 16 March, according to updates from Italy’s Ministry of Interior. Those new arrivals would push this year’s Mediterranean arrival numbers over 20,000 on March 16, and to over 16,000 for Italy alone. That puts 2017’s arrival rate to Italy considerably ahead of the 2015’s first three-month total of 10,165, and just below the 2016 three-month total of 18,777.
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"Slavery is not a thing of the past. Human trafficking networks have gone global. Let's act against this appalling violation of human rights." – UNSG António Guterres. His tweet here.
Migration in the News
- Reuters, News 24, Sudan Tribune, AP, Sputnik and AFP reported the attack on an aid convoy in South Sudan that killed two and injured three, including an IOM health officer.
- Xinhua reported that EU officials hailed the progress achieved in dealing with the refugee influx over the past year during a visit to the Greek island of Lesvos.
- CNN shared the story of Suriya Iftin and her family who fled Somalia and are now in a Nairobi transit centre, hoping to make it to the US after two failed attempts.
- Xinhua reported the completion of a draft policy that will guide Kenya’s migration management.
- News Day reported that Zimbabwe has been ranked as one of the countries that are worst affected by modern-day slavery with an estimated 99,600 victims, a US Department of State Trafficking in Persons report has revealed.
- French NGO ACTED reported on the growing challenge of mangrove conservation in Rakhine State, Myanmar and conducted a series of trainings on mangrove regeneration techniques and disaster risk reduction.
Trending on the Internet
- NBC reported on an Asian-American literary organization whose members have spent the last decade's National Poetry Months sending verses to each other in the mail. This year, members have decided to focus their postcards on the theme of migration through the month of March.
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