Over 1 Million ‘Irregular’ Migrants Entered Europe In 2015; Most Since WWII
Over a million irregular migrants and refugees arrived in Europe in 2015, mostly from Syria, Africa and South Asia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Through the weekend, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix – Flow Monitoring System counted 999,745 irregular arrivals across the Mediterranean, including migrants journeying by both land and sea to Greece, as well as to Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Malta and Cyprus.
With arrivals of 4,141 migrants or refugees landing in Greece on Monday, IOM reports total arrivals to Europe at roughly 1,005,504, with just 3% coming by land.
The total is the highest migration flow since World War II, IOM said.