The number of migrants and refugees arriving in
Italy and Greece since the start of the year has risen sharply compared to the
same period 2015 and hundreds are stranded at European borders due to rising
restrictions, aid agencies said on Tuesday. At least 102,500 people
have landed on Greek islands including Samos, Kos and Lesbos this year, and
7,500 in Italy, the International Organization for Migration IOM said in a statement.
We've reached that
figure in two months as opposed to last year when it was reached by the summer,
IOM spokesman Itayi Viriri told a news briefing. In 2015, the 100,000 mark was
not reached until the end of June, according to IOM figures. The vast majority
of the latest arrivals are from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, IOM said.
In a
separate statement, the United Nations refugee agency called on European
countries to take a "unified approach" and denounced restrictions
limiting access for asylum seekers, including some based on nationality. Referring
to caps imposed by Austria and Slovenia, the UNHCR said: "These newest
restrictive measures risk violating EU law and undermine efforts for a
comprehensive and coordinated approach to deal with the refugee and migrant
crisis in Europe.
Most of the refugees are fleeing war and persecution and deserve
protection, including Syrian refugees from fierce fighting in Aleppo, the UN
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. And yet, with every
passing week, it appears some European countries are focusing on keeping
refugees and migrants out more than on responsibly managing the flow and
working on common solutions.
Last week Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia agreed to jointly profile and
register refugees at the border between Macedonia and Greece, which had
resulted in increased protection risks, UNHCR said. Austria and Slovenia's
daily cap on asylum seekers and their joint restrictions with the other three
countries had left nearly 700 people, mainly Afghans, barred from crossing from
Macedonia into Serbia, UNHCR said.
Macedonia's own restrictions also left
hundreds stranded at border crossings from Greece, where police started
removing them on Tuesday, sources said. More than 410 have died so far this
year at sea, mostly on the route from Turkey to Greece, the IOM said.
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