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Overview and developments
Between 1 January and 31 August 2018, 20,001 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy by sea, an 80 per cent decrease compared to sea arrivals in the same period last year (99,127). The overall reduction trend in arrival numbers to Italy this year continues with lower numbers each month since May 2018. In August 2018, just under 1,500 refugees and migrants reached Italian shores, a 62 per cent reduction compared to 3,914 sea arrivals in August 2017. In August 2018, 47 per cent of refugees and migrants disembarking in Italy departed from Tunisia, followed by 23 per cent from Greece, 16 per cent from Libya, and 7 per cent from Greece and Algeria, respectively. The ten most common countries of origin of refugees and migrants registered at Italian landing points between January and August 2018 are Tunisia, Eritrea, Sudan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iraq, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Algeria, and Guinea. Unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) account for 15 per cent of sea arrivals since the beginning of the year.
On 20 August 2018, Italian Coast Guard ship Diciotti docked in the Sicilian port of Catania with 190 refugees and migrants on board who had been rescued off the Libyan Coast. Some of the most vulnerable persons on board, including persons in need of medical care and unaccompanied children were allowed to leave the Diciotti, but 150 people remained on board the ship. On 23 August, UNHCR and IOM urged the Italian government to allow refugees and migrants rescued on board the Diciotti to disembark. Many of those on board were in need of humanitarian assistance, international protection assessments and had already faced incredibly traumatic experiences. Finally, on 25 August, the remaining passengers on the Diciotti were permitted to disembark by the Italian authorities. UNHCR called for a collaborative and reliable European approach towards persons rescued at sea, and urged States to accelerate efforts to put in place established and predictable arrangements in the Mediterranean region for the disembarkation of persons rescued at sea.