IOM: 49.310 migrants and refugees have entered Europe in 2017

As announced by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), from the beginning of 2017 up to today about 49.310 immigrants and refugees have crossed across Europe through the Mediterranean.

According to the latest IOM data, 41.196 people arrived in Italy, while the rest came to Greece (5.555), Spain (2.426) and Cyprus (133).

Although immigrants arriving in Europe this year by sea are much less than in the same period last year (nearly 190.000 arrivals), the “blood tax” remains high.

A total of 1.309 men, women and children have so far lost their lives this year, mainly on the crossing of the Central Mediterranean linking North Africa to Italy, where 1.222 people drowned since January.

Other 87 deaths were recorded in the eastern and western Mediterranean passages. The number of victims is slightly lower than the 1.380 deaths recorded in the same period last year.