Med storms don’t deter refugees

THOUSANDS of migrants are arriving in Europe every day despite worsening weather as winter sets in, figures reveal.

At least 140,000 crossed the Mediterranean last month with the total for this year now expected to exceed a million. Rough seas and a crackdown by Turkish authorities meant arrivals in October were down by around a third compared with a record high of 220,000 in October, but the numbers have started to pick up again. The UN’s refugee agency said 5,201 had landed on the Greek islands on Monday alone.

‘The monthly figure for November is the first one this year that actually shows a decrease compared with the previous one,’ said UNHCR spokesman William Spindler. ‘The reasons for the slowdown in the number of arrivals have to do with fluctuating climate conditions in the Aegean but also a crackdown on smuggling by Turkish authorities.’

More than 88 ,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, according to the latest UN figures. Only half of those were Syrians fleeing war.

The vast majority – 738,000 – have landed on the Greek islands before moving up through the continent towards northern Europe.

A total of 3,515 have died in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe, most of them on the longer and more dangerous crossing from Libya to Italy.