LOC16:51
13:51 GMT
GENEVA, Oct 20 (KUNA) -- The International Oranization of Migration (IOM) on Tuesday said hat over 8,900 migrants crossed into Greece on Friday (16/10); on Saturday (17/10) arrivals exceeded 9,100; and on Sunday (18/10), arrivals approached 9,200.
"This is an unprecedented number of migrants arriving in Greece this weekend, with totals exceeding arrivals during peak summer sailing days", said the IOM spokesperson Joel Millman in a press briefing in UN Geneva.
"A total of over 27,000 migrants entered Greece last weekend, the majority of whom arrived on the island of Lesvos (16,448). The island of Chios, which previously saw arrivals of up to 300-500 migrants a day, over the weekend, witnessed the arrival of over 4,300 migrants", he explained.
"Agencies are working to improve conditions at the emergency camp at the border in response to growing numbers of migrants arriving by bus and deteriorating weather conditions. IOM has dispatched three rub hall marquees, 10 chemical toilets and wooden benches", he added.
Deteriorating weather conditions have already resulted in at least 25 deaths in the Aegean Sea this week, many of them children. Two incidents off the coast of Lesvos reported on October 14th and October 15th cost the lives of 10 migrants, including four children and two infants.
Meanwhile in the Channel of Sicily between Libya and Italy, some 1,300 people were rescued on Saturday (17/10) and Sunday. Rescue operations were conducted by the Italian naval ships Cigala Fulgosi, Fassa and Bersagliere, the Italian coastguard ships Fiorillo and Dattilo, and the Doctors Without Borders ship Dignity One.
A group of 622 migrants - almost all Nigerian nationals - was brought to Cagliari on board the Norwegian ship Siem Pilot, while another group of 633 will arrive in Taranto today on the Spanish ship Rio Segura. They will be met by IOM staff based in Puglia.
The Rio Segura is also transporting the bodies of eight migrants (seven women and one man.) They were found dead on a rubber dinghy 130 miles southeast of the island of Lampedusa. The dinghy - with 133 survivors - was located by the Italian navy ship Bersagliere on Sunday early afternoon.
Some 2,822 migrants have now lost their lives in the Channel of Sicily - the majority of the 3,138 migrants believed to have died in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe in 2015. (end)
ta.mt