Central Mediterranean, arrivals increase in August, compared to the previous month: four dead or missing at sea, the majority departing from Libya

ROMA – Around 8,000 people landed on the Italian coast in August, a figure that represents an increase of around 7% compared to the previous month (7,465). Between January and June, arrivals were, respectively: 2,258, 2,301, 6,857, 4,721, 4,976, 4,902. The people who arrived on the Italian coast in August departed from Libya, Tunisia and Turkey. Libya was the first country of departure, with around 70% of all sea arrivals in Italy.

The main landing place: Lampedusa. About 70% of those arriving in August landed in Lampedusa. Other ports of disembarkation include Roccella Ionica, Pozzallo, Ravenna, Genoa, Ancona. Since the beginning of the year, the main nationalities of origin have been: Bangladesh (20%), Syria (16%), Tunisia (14%), Guinea (6%), Egypt (6%), Pakistan (4%), Mali (3%), Sudan (3%), Eritrea (3%) and Gambia (2%).

The death toll. In August, three people were reported dead and one missing, a figure that is underestimated since it was based only on information collected by our teams upon disembarkation in Italy. A first incident involved, on August 3, a vessel departing from Tajura: two people died and one person was missing during rescue operations. A second vessel, departing from Sabratha and rescued on August 12, had a man on board who had already died from hydrocarbon inhalation.

The work of the UN Agency. UNHCR is present at the disembarkation points where it continues to support the Italian authorities with dedicated teams, in collaboration with national and European agencies and other partners, to provide information to new arrivals and for the prompt identification and timely referral of children and the most vulnerable to specialized services and care. UNHCR continues to urge States to strengthen their resources and capacities to effectively fulfill their responsibilities. In particular, it renews its call for collaboration to strengthen search and rescue mechanisms at sea and to promote greater access to safe and regular pathways to the European Union for people seeking international protection.