Highlights
As part of its information and awareness campaign, IOM organized a three-day cultural festival in Agadez, Niger. The festival opened at the IOM transit centre with a video screening exploring migration in Niger and the region. Other activities included a football match in the town square between a migrant team and young people from Agadez, and an evening of participatory theatre to encourage discussion around informed decisions about migration and safer alternatives.
IOM has started providing English and Croatian language classes to those migrants at the Zagreb reception centre. Future classes will include an introduction to basic hygiene and cultural orientation.
IOM continues to provide assisted voluntary return services for migrants in Greece who are seeking to safely return to their country of origin. As of 3 May, IOM has registered 2,597 migrants since the start of the year who wish to return to their country of origin. Of this total, IOM has provided return assistance to 2,026 migrants.
IOM has supported the Turkish Coast Guards in Küçükkuyu, Dikili and Çeşme by providing a total of 338 rescued migrants and refugees with food, water and NFIs, including blankets, baby diapers, hygiene kits, clothing and shoes.
In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, IOM is finalizing the renovation work at the Reception Centre for Asylum in Veizbegovo that includes the installation of a drainage system in the reception area that will improve the overall conditions for those staying at the centre.
In Presevo, Serbia, IOM provided transportation assistance to vulnerable groups of people who needed to access local service providers, including health and social work centres.
During the reporting period, over 230 migrants were provided with this assistance.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
As of 3 May 2016, 189,378 migrants and refugees have arrived to Europe by land and sea routes since the start of 2016, the majority of whom have entered by sea through Greece (155,090) and Italy (28,563).
On 26 April, there were four separate boat landings in Augusta, Lampedusa, Reggio Calabria and Taranto, Italy that brought in 2,365 new migrants. On 29 April, a rubber dinghy was rescued by an Italian commercial ship only a few hours after its departure from Sabrata, Libya, where 26 migrants were rescued.
According to Greek authorities, the total number of arrivals since the start of 2016 through land and sea is now at 156,266. The majority (53 per cent) of these numbers are crossing into Greece through the island of Lesvos while 30 per cent are crossing through the island of Chios.
In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the number of migrants and refugees who remain at the reception centre in Gevgelija is currently 136 (31 women, 39 men, and 66 children). In Tabanovce centre, approximately 900 people remain stranded.
As of 2 May, the Turkish Coast Guards (TCG) have rescued 24,500 migrants and refugees since the start of this year. During the last reporting period, the average number of people rescued per day was 240; however since 4 April, with the implementation of the EU and Turkey agreement, a tremendous decrease in the number of those rescued has been observed.