Summary
A total of 40,537 migrants and refugees arrived in Europe through different land and sea routes between January and June 2019, 29 per cent less than the same period last year, when some 59,446 sea and land arrivals were reported, 60 per cent less than the 105,884 arrivals registered in 2017 and 85 per cent less than the 239,157 registered between January and June 2016.
Fifty-seven per cent of all arrivals were registered in Cyprus, Bulgaria and Greece Another 33 per cent of individuals have arrived in Europe through the Western Mediterranean route leading to Spain, and the remaining 10 per cent were rescued and brought to Italy and Malta in their attempt to cross the Central Mediterranean route This indicates that the Eastern Mediterranean route continues to surpass both the Western and the Central Mediterranean routes as the main route taken by the migrants and refugees arriving to Europe between January and July 2019.