By Brillian Bao
LESBOS, Greece — Though the influx of migrants to Europe has slowed since the refugee crisis began in 2015, the EU remains deeply divided over resettlement and integration plans. Greece has been especially impacted by the crisis because of its proximity to Turkey. Of the reported 26,388 people who have arrived by sea so far this year, 12,258 arrived in Greece, according to the United Nations. While the European Commission has granted Greece more than 816.4 million euros in emergency assistance, some of Greece’s refugee camps continue to receive criticism for poor conditions.
1. How many migrants have arrived in Europe?
The number of arrivals peaked in October 2015, when an estimated 220,579 migrants reached Europe by crossing the Mediterranean, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
There are three main migratory routes in the Mediterranean: The Central Mediterranean route (from North Africa to Italy), the Eastern Mediterranean route (from Turkey to Greece), and the Western Mediterranean route (from Morocco to Spain). The EU has focused especially on reducing irregular arrivals along the central route, which is the most-used route of the three.
The graphs in this article are interactive. In the graph below, double-click on the legend to isolate a specific year. Hover over the graph for options to download the plot as a png file, zoom, compare data, and more.
Data Source: IOM
The journey across the Mediterranean remains dangerous. An estimated 597 migrants have died trying to cross the sea so far this year — this number is projected to rise given the fact that the death toll is typically higher during the summer, when more people attempt crossings.
The deadliest months on record are April 2015, when more than 1,300 migrants died in two incidents, and May 2016, when more than 700 migrants died in three additional incidents.
Data Source: IOM
2. Where are migrants going?
Germany continues to receive the highest number of asylum applicants, with 184,180 applications last year. France saw an increase in the number of asylum applications, despite criticism that the country has fallen short of its 2015 pledge to relocate 30,000 refugees from Italy and Greece.
Asylum applications in Greece are also on the rise. Though Greece was once seen as a transit country for migrants, the closure of the Balkan route after a deal between the EU and Turkey in 2016 transformed Greece into a host country.
Data Source: Eurostat
3. Which European countries have been most affected?
Cyprus had the most first-time asylum applicants in 2018 in proportion to its population, with 8,805 applicants per million of Cyprus’s local population. With the 70 percent increase in asylum claims between 2017 and 2018, Cyprus Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides has appealed to the EU multiple times for assistance.
In Greece, the figure was 6,051 applicants per million local residents. The EU average was 1,133.
Data Source: Eurostat
4. Which countries are Greece’s migrants from?
While Syria remains the most popular country of origin, the number of Syrian migrants applying for asylum in Greece has declined by nearly fifty percent since 2015. An increasing number of applicants have come from Afghanistan and Iraq, where continued conflict and economic strain have pushed many to leave.
This shift from Syrian migrants to Afghan migrants is visible at Moria Camp, an EU-sponsored refugee camp located on the island of Lesbos. Though the majority of Moria’s residents at this time last year were from Syria, 78% of the camp’s current residents are from Afghanistan, according to NorCap representative Patric Mansour.
Applicants from Afghanistan are nearly half as likely to receive refugee or subsidiary protection status than applicants from Syria, however. Despite ongoing violence in Afghanistan, many European governments classify most Afghan migrants as economic migrants, a status which does not fall within the criteria for refugee status. Across the EU, 86% of first-time asylum applicants from Syria were granted international protection, compared to 44% of first-time asylum applicants from Afghanistan.
Data Source: Greek Asylum Service
5. How has Europe responded?
In 2015, the EU devised a scheme to alleviate pressure on Italy and Greece by relocating 160,000 asylum seekers. At the end of October last year, only 21,999 of the target 66,400 asylum seekers to be relocated from Greece had been effectively transferred. Though the EU relocation scheme was set to end after two years, the United Nations refugee agency has urged EU Member States to continue implementing the plan.
While the UK opted out of the plan, the country has resettled more than 19,000 refugees since 2015.
Data Source: Hellenic Republic Ministry of Migration
