Record number recorded by IOM
ADVERTISEMENTMore than a million migrants and refugees have arrived in the European Union by land and sea in 2015.
A further 3,600 died or are missing, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
En 2015, plus d'un million de migrants sont arrivés en Europe https://t.co/1Y2vW5tQmC#AFPpic.twitter.com/yTz7QdQnsL
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) 22 Décembre 2015
1,005,504 people had arrived in Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Malta and Cyprus by December the 21st.
Today: 1 million refugees + migrants flee to #Europe in 2015: https://t.co/LTZBqUzZpSpic.twitter.com/yGCldvXway
— UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) 22 Décembre 2015
Nombre de #réfugiés et de #migrants fuyant vers l'Europe en 2015 dépasse les 1 million – chiffres #UNHCR et #IOM – https://t.co/9zXlz8ympz
— Frederik Smets (@freek_smets) 22 Décembre 2015
Who are they?
Half of those recorded on arrival are Syrians fleeing the war in their country.
Another 20 percent are Afghans while seven percent are Iraqi nationals.
How did they get to the EU?
One million migrants and refugees entered Europe by land and sea in 2015
https://t.co/E7AFFKhZ34pic.twitter.com/sUm51NEldX— BuzzFeed UK (@BuzzFeedUK) 22 Décembre 2015
816,752 – the vast majority of those who arrived – did so by sea in Greece according to the IOM.
A “record level” of conflict
Refugees and migrants fleeing to #Europe in 2015 top unprecedented 1 million –
UN</a> agency <a href="https://t.co/zjbiBw2TaK">https://t.co/zjbiBw2TaK</a> <a href="https://t.co/unJmChhejs">pic.twitter.com/unJmChhejs</a></p>— UN News Centre (UN_News_Centre) 22 Décembre 2015
The UNHCR blames a record level of conflict around the globe.
“We do not want more refugees, we want to avoid refugees being created and for that, peace is essential. In today’s world, we need a surge of diplomacy for peace because obviously we see this multiplication of conflicts and we see that the international community seems powerless in trying to stop them” said High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres.
#Antonio Gutierres UNHCR Chef erhält Nachhaltigkeitspreis:Flüchtlinge kein Problem wenn EU geeint wäre #Soseuropepic.twitter.com/V8qRP5aWZo
— Selmin Çalışkan (@SelminCaliskan) 27 Novembre 2015
Predictions for 2016
Forcibly displaced to “far surpass' 60 Million in 2016 says UNHCR's Gutierrez
RefugeesMedia</a> <a href="https://t.co/v4dXLjmbfr">https://t.co/v4dXLjmbfr</a> <a href="https://t.co/dzByVkPCvR">pic.twitter.com/dzByVkPCvR</a></p>— Stephen Cornish (Stephen_Cornish) 18 Décembre 2015
The UNHCR is expecting the arrivals to continue at a similar rate in 2016. The IOM, however, says it is impossible to predict future numbers.
The UNHCR says the record movement of people into Europe is a symptom of a record level of disruption around the globe. The number of refugees and internally-displaced people is well over 60 million.