The United Nations Refugees Agency released a report noting that a total of 218,000 migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean in October, while escaping their conflict stricken countries in the Middle East and seeking a better future in Europe. It was estimated that only 8,000 of these people did not cross through Greek borders.
Specifically, according to UNHCR data, despite the bad weather conditions, refugees and migrants continued to flock towards Europe in October, with the vast majority (210,000) arriving via Greece, mainly from Turkey through the Greek island of Lesvos.
On the other hand, Italy only received 8.129 refugees and migrants, a significant reduction compared to the 15,000 the country received in the same period last year. Experts attribute this decline to the fact that the Syrian refugees are no longer traveling through Italy, but through Turkey and Greece.
A record number of refugees crossed the Mediterranean in their attempt to reach Europe, in October. It is worth noting that the same number of migrants crossed the border in October 2015 alone compared to 2014 in its entirety.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
