November 04, 2008
Increasing numbers of refugees and migrants from Africa and the Middle East have been reaching Europe by sea this year, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday.
 | Boat PeopleWould-be immigrants wait to board a rescue boat after being intercepted off Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife (Photo: Reuters) |
Nearly 30,000 boat people arrived on Italian shores by the end of October, compared with 19,900 in full-year 2007. In Malta, close to 2,600 people have arrived by sea from North Africa in the first nine months of 2008, compared to 1,800 last year.
More people have also perished trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy or Malta this year, with 509 dead or missing by the end of October against 471 in the whole of 2007, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Greek figures for the first seven months of the year also show a higher rate of migrants arriving by boat, with 15,000 reaching the mainland or islands between January and July compared to 19,900 in the whole of 2007.
And Spain and the Canary Islands have had 10,700 people arrive by sea from January to the end of October, up from the same period last year but still below the full-year 2007 figure of 18,000. "Africa and the Middle East account for most of the boat people coming to southern Europe," UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said.
Those seeking to reach Europe by sea include both economic migrants looking for income and refugees whose lives could be in danger if they return to their home countries, the agency said.
According to the UNHCR, about one-third of migrants arriving by sea to Italy tend to apply for asylum, of which almost half are recognized as refugees or granted some form of protection.
In Malta, about 80 percent of those arriving by sea file for asylum and 60 percent receive either refugee status or another form of protection. Only about 3 percent of those reaching Spanish shores end up filing for asylum, the UNHCR said.
editor: (Reuters)
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