Sarajevo – With elevated numbers of migrants and refugees entering Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2017, the European Union has just allocated more than EUR 7.2 million in grants to support the work of the UN Migration Agency, IOM, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The funds were provided through an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance special measure. Resultant projects will be implemented by IOM in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency and UNICEF to help further strengthen the country's migration management, asylum, border control and surveillance capacities.

GENEVA (22 October 2018) - The Human Rights Committee this morning discussed an update by the Rapporteur on the Follow-Up to Concluding Observations, and endorsed the document titled “Possible elements of a common aligned procedure for follow-up to concluding observations, decisions and views for all treaty bodies”, which the Chairs of human rights treaty bodies had adopted during their annual meeting from 29 May to 1 June in New York.

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 91,093 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 17 October, with 42,494 to Spain, the leading destination this year. In fact, since late September’s arrivals were reported, Spain in 2018 has now received via the Mediterranean more irregular migrants than it did throughout all the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 combined.

The region’s total arrivals through the recent weekend compare with 145,193 arrivals across the region through the same period last year, and 320,033 at this point in 2016.

In the first nine months of 2018, the number of irregular border crossings into the EU via the top four migratory routes fell by a third from a year ago to about 100 100, mainly because of lower migratory pressure on the Central Mediterranean route.

In September, some 12 900 irregular crossings were detected on the main migratory routes into the EU, 21% fewer than in the same month of last year.

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 88,049 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 10 October, with 40,598 to Spain, the leading destination this year. The region’s total arrivals through the recent weekend compare with 142,301 arrivals across the region through the same period last year, and 318,791 at this point in 2016.

Spain, with 46 per cent of all arrivals through the current year, continues to receive seaborne migrants in October at a volume approaching three times that of Greece and about eight times that of Italy.

This Operation Update no. 1 is issued to inform about a two-month extension of the DREF operation timeframe, as well as the changes occurred during the first two months of the implementation timeframe of the EPoA.

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 84,345 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 3 October, with 38,451 to Spain, the leading destination this year.

The region’s total arrivals through the recent weekend compare with 139,677 arrivals across the region through the same period last year, and 312,153 at this same point in 2016. Deaths on the Mediterranean remain high, at 1,777. However, that figure is well below fatalities recorded at this time last year (2,749) or 2016 (3,682).

According to the compilation of available data from national authorities and IOM offices, a total of 87,776 migrants and refugees arrived in Europe between January and August 2018. Estimated 79 per cent of the overall population crossed the Mediterranean Sea (69,614), mainly using the Western Mediterranean route which leads to Spain where 33,912 new arrivals were registered between January and August 2018.

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 81,207 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 26 September, with 35,859 to Spain – an increase of 600 to this destination since IOM’s last report on 23 September.

The region’s total arrivals through the recent weekend compare with 134,614 arrivals across the region through the same period last year, and 302,803 at a similar point in 2016.

Three years on from the shocking images of lifeless Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi on a Turkish beach, a new report by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency shows that crossing the Mediterranean Sea has become even more deadly.

UNHCR’s new Desperate Journeys report shows that more than 1,600 people have died or gone missing while attempting to reach Europe so far this year.

All over the world today, families of the missing will speak out about the agony of not knowing the fate of a loved one. The idea for the International Day of the Disappeared originated in Latin America nearly four decades ago among families of victims of enforced disappearance. The annual commemoration has shone a light on a phenomenon that is often misunderstood – and whose impact is equally often underestimated.

In the first seven months of 2018, the number of irregular border crossings into the EU via the top four migratory routes fell by 43 per cent from a year ago to about 73 500, mainly because of lower migratory pressure on the Central Mediterranean route.

In July, some 14 900 irregular crossings were detected on the main migratory routes into the EU, 18% fewer than in the same month of last year.

The migration flow continued to decrease remaining largely under control; coordination and cooperation remain crucial

An array of response measures, ranging from coordinated enhancement of border-controls by the most affected countries to policy actions supported by the EU, introduced at the end of 2015 and maintained throughout 2016 and 2017, contributed to a marked reduction in the volume of the non-regional migration flow observed in the Western Balkans.

Key Findings
- Overall, the number of illegal border-crossings by non-regional migrants recorded at the green borders in Q1 2018 was slightly below the values of both Q1 and Q4 2017, in spite of seasonality; Indications that migrants are searching for alternative routing to bypass the enhanced controls on the main Serbia-centred corridor, continued being observed into Q1 2018.
- Lower pressure reported at Serbia’s northern common borders with Croatia, Hungary and Romania.
- Continued increase in migration pressure along the Albania.

IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 58,158 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea through 1 August 2018. That total compares to 113,283 at this time last year, and over 261,228 at this time in 2016.