ReliefWeb

MIXED MIGRATION FLOWS TO EUROPE

In the fourth quarter of 2020, a total of 37,454 migrants and refugees were registered arriving to Europe through the three Mediterranean routes, which is 12 per cent less than the 42,713 arrivals registered in the same period in 2019, and 10 per cent less than the 41,819 registered in 2018. Arrivals in the fourth quarter of 2020 increased by 19 per cent compared to the previous reporting period (31,563 in Q3 2020). This significant increase registered in arrivals somewhat coincides with the ease of travel and mobility restrictions previously imposed by authorities to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus since late February beginning of March 2020.

Around (61%) of all registered individuals in Q4 of 2020 arrived in Europe through the Western Mediterranean and Western African Atlantic route by reaching Spain (22,816). Another 28 per cent were registered in Italy (10,428), and Malta (119) and the remaining 8 per cent crossed the Eastern Mediterranean and disembarked in Greece (2,457) and Bulgaria (1,634).1 The Western Mediterranean and the Western African Atlantic routes via Spain became the main routes of arrivals to Europe by the fourth quarter of 2020, representing 61 per cent of all the registered arrivals to the region. A total of 22,816 arrivals were registered in between October and December (Q4 2020), which is 2 times more than the arrivals registered in the same period of 2019 (9,621), and 1 per cent less than the arrivals registered in Q4 of 2018 (23,014).

While Spain recorded the largest share of all arrivals to Europe by the fourth quarter (October – December 2020), comparatively the Central Mediterranean Route via Italy and Malta was the most frequently used route in terms of arrivals to Europe in the second and third quarter of 2020, representing 54 and 55 per cent of all registered arrivals to the region in these periods.

According to available data from national authorities so far and without considering arrivals to Spain, Tunisia is the most reported country of origin among all registered arrivals to Europe (28%) in the fourth quarter of 2020, mainly through the Central Mediterranean route, followed by Bangladesh (9%) and Côte d’Ivoire (8%), mainly through the Eastern and the Central Mediterranean route. Other main countries of origin are Egypt (6%, via Italy and Malta), Islamic Republic of Iran (6%, via Italy and Greece), and Afghanistan and Iraq (5%, via Italy and Greece, respectively).

Arrivals to Spain between January and December 2020 (41,861) are 29 per cent higher than arrivals registered in the same reporting period in 2019 (32,513). Notably, arrivals to Spain doubled in the fourth quarter (22,816) when compared with the third quarter (10,499) in 2020. The shift may be explained by the increasing arrivals registered in Spain mainly through the Western African Atlantic Route to the Canary Islands. Between October and December 2020 alone (Q4), a total of 16,932 migrants and refugees crossed the Western African Atlantic Route, which is 11 times higher than arrivals registered at the Canaries in the same reporting period in 2019 (1,582), and 5 times higher when compared with the third quarter of 2020 (July – September).

Spain therefore represents the leading country for arrivals registered in the whole of 2020 in Europe with 41,861 or 42 per cent of all arrivals.
During Q4, 450 migrants perished or disappeared at sea while on their way to Spain (of which 349 died in the Atlantic Ocean, heading to the Canary Islands).3 Between October and December 2020, 10,547 arrivals were registered on the Central Mediterranean route, which is more than 2 times the arrivals registered on this route in Q4 of 2019 (4,490), and more than 3 times the arrivals registered in Q4 of 2018 (3,019). Arrivals registered in Q4 of 2020 in Italy and Malta are 39 per cent less than the arrivals registered in Q3 2020 (17,239).
During the fourth quarter of 2020, 2,443 migrants disembarked back to Libya, and at least 211 perished while crossing the Central Mediterranean.

Arrivals through the Eastern Mediterranean route were the highest among the three Mediterranean migration routes in all quarters of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. However, a significant decrease in the number of arrivals through the Eastern Mediterranean route was observed from April 2020 and onwards, with the Eastern Mediterranean route registering 7 times less of the arrivals in Q4 2020 (4,091) than those registered in the fourth quarter of 2019 (28,602).
On the same route, the Turkish Coast guard (TCG) reported to have apprehended 3,775 persons in the fourth quarter of the year, while trying to cross the sea between Turkey and Greece irregularly.

Interceptions by the TCG were 11 per cent lower than those in Q3 2020.
Intensified movements in the Western Balkans observed throughout 2019 continued also in 2020. After the slowdown during the second quarter of 2020, registrations of migrants intercepted by national authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia started to increase again recording 19,711 during Q4 of 2020, representing a slight decrease of 11 per cent when compared with Q3 of 2020, where a total of 22,238 migrants were registered. Afghanistan, Syrian Arab Republic, Pakistan, and Bangladesh were the most frequently reported countries of origin, although the information on nationality was not available for 20 per cent of all registered transits through the Western Balkans between October and December 2020.