European Union Migrant Arrivals Pass Record 100,000 in July 2015

 

Nearly 110,000 migrants were tracked entering the EU in July 2015 by irregular means, official data showed on Tuesday, setting a record as the influx continues, notably of Syrians reaching Greek islands from Turkey

The European Union's border control agency Frontex said that it had detected some 107,500 people arriving outside regular channels in July 2015, a sharp increase on the previous record set in June 2015 of over 70,000, and more than three times as many as it registered in the same month last year.

The most active frontiers were those of the Greek islands in the Aegean off Turkey, where nearly 50,000 people were recorded arriving by sea, mainly on Lesbos, Chios, Samos and Kos

Nearly 340,000 such migrants were seen so far this year arriving in the EU, mainly in Italy, Greece and Hungary. That was a 175 % rise on the same period last year and much more than the 280,000 registered arrivals in all of 2014

Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri said
"This is an emergency situation for Europe that requires all EU member states to step in to support the national authorities who are taking on a massive number of migrants at its borders."