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UNHCR Europe Monthly Report (September 2017)

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Trends and Key Figures

Between 01 January 2017 and 30 September 2017, 138,300 refugees and migrants arrived by sea and land to Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus only, including arrivals to the Canary Islands and by land to Spain). Arrivals by sea in this period comprised of 18% children, 13% women and 70% men. The reduced number of refugees and migrants entering Europe via the Central Mediterranean route since mid-July continued with just under 6,000 people arriving by sea in Italy in September, a 65% decrease compared to September 2016. While the increased arrivals of refugees and migrants via the Western Mediterranean route to Spain this year continued with a 8% increase in September compared to September last year, arrival numbers in September fell 36% compared to August. In Greece, the number of refugees and migrants arriving by sea reached its highest levels since March 2016 with 4,900 people arriving in September, a 60% increase compared to September last year and a 36% increase compared to August.

As of 30 September, over 104,800 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy by sea in 2017 (dropped 64% compared to same period in 2016), including over 13,500 unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), 13% of sea arrivals. While arrivals from Libya in Italy have reduced, the proportion of arrivals by sea in Italy from other countries have increased. The primary nationalities that had arrived by sea in Italy in 2017 as of the end of September were Nigerians, Guineans, Bangladeshis, Ivorians and Malians.

As of the end of September, 17,400 refugees and migrants have arrived in Spain by land and sea, a 91% increase compared to the same period last year, but modest numbers compared to arrivals in recent years. Over 70% of arrivals in Spain this year have arrived by sea but the number of arrivals via the land borders has also increased 35% compared to the same period last year. The number of sea arrivals to Spain (12,400), is 128% higher than the same period last year.

As of 30 September 2017, over 20,000 refugees and migrants had reached Greek shores in 2017, compared to 166,800 arriving in the same period last year (a 88% reduction). Arrivals mainly originate from the Syrian Arab Republic (40%) and Iraq (20%). Most arrivals in September have been to Lesvos (49%), followed by Samos (20%), Chios (12%), and the South Dodecanese islands (13%). In addition to the sea arrivals, an estimated 3,300 people have arrived this year at the Evros Greek-Turkish land border, based on provisional data as of 30 September 2017 with over 1,000 crossing via this route in September. The 2,850 UASC who are present in Greece are from Pakistan (40%) Afghanistan (19%) (EKKA statistics as of 30 September).

According to Turkish authorities, the Turkish Coast Guard (TCG) intercepted or rescued 3,408 people during September, contributing to a total of 15,471 in 2017 of persons mostly headed to Greece. Since the beginning of the year, some 20,695 persons were intercepted by Land Forces at the Greek and Bulgarian land borders, with over 18,000 (or 91%) intercepted at the Greek land border.

Between 01-13 September, three vessels carrying refugees or migrants attempted to cross from Turkey to Romania, consisting over 300 individuals, the majority of whom were Iraqis. In addition, over 800 individuals, who were attempting to cross to Romania from Turkey, were intercepted by Turkish Coast Guards during September in five incidents.

Asylum Applications: According to Eurostat data as of 30 September over 400,000 asylum applications have been lodged throughout the EU+ countries6 in 2017. When comparing the total figures of applications received in previous years (1,236,360 total in 2016 and 1,325,565 in 2015) this is an estimated drop of around 67% so far in 2017. By the end of June 2017 there were over 958,000 pending applications. The most common countries of asylum between January and August 2017 were Germany (122,800), Italy (83,100), France (50,800), Greece (27,100) and the United Kingdom (18,800). Syrian, Afghani and Iraqi nationals are among the most common nationalities of asylum applications, with Syrians representing 15% of new asylum applications.

Dead and missing: Dead and missing: As of 30 September, an estimated 2,655 people have died or gone missing while trying to reach Europe by sea via the three Mediterranean routes in 2017, compared to 3,543 in the same period in 2016, a 25% decrease. Over 94% of deaths this year have been as refugees and migrants have tried to cross from North Africa to Italy. Deaths in September included many aboard a boat that departed the Libyan coast in mid-September before running out of fuel. The boat remained adrift for several days before capsizing. Around 40 survivors were ultimately rescued or swam to the Libyan shore, but some 90 persons are thought to have drowned. Off the coast of Greece, a shipwreck on 28 September northwest of the island of Kastelorizo claimed the life of a 9-year-old Syrian girl.

Relocation: According to the European Commission (EC), 29,698 asylum-seekers have been relocated from Greece and Italy as of 04 October 2017, including 20,410 from Greece (out of 66,400 originally foreseen, 30 per cent of the total) and 9,288 from Italy (out of 39,600 originally foreseen, 23 per cent of the total) respectively.

Resettlement: To date in 2017, 16,535 persons have been resettled to Europe. On 11 September, UNHCR issued a global call for an additional 40,000 resettlement places to be made available for refugees located in 15 priority countries along the Central Mediterranean route.

Returns: In September, 29 people were returned from Greece to Turkey on the basis of the EU-Turkey Statement. The total number of people returned in accordance with the EU-Turkey Statement is 1,336 as of 30 September 2017.