monthly update january 2016

8/18/2019 Monthly Update January 2016

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Highlights

61,746Refugees and

migrants arriving by

sea to Europe in

2016

344 Refugees and

migrants estimated

to have died/ gone

missing at sea in

2016

60,500Arrivals in Greece in

January over

56,538Arrivals in the former

Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia in January

USD 84.9MFunding received

covering activities until

February 2016

Refugee/migrant crisis in Western Balkans in January

Appeal to donors for US$550 million to support the ongoing

humanitarian response. UNHCR, IOM, and some 65 otherorganisations, have appealed to donors for US$550 million to support

the ongoing humanitarian response in Europe. The appeal was

launched on 26th January aims at funding humanitarian operations in

2016 across the affected European countries, with approximately half

of the funds allocated in Greece.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, calls foraction to end war in Syria. The fate of millions of Syrian refugeesand internally displaced persons is in the hands of regional and world

powers and they must now act, particularly after devastating images of

starving children in Syria, which shocked the world. That was the

message of Filippo Grandi, new UN High Commissioner for Refugees,

after his first official 8-day trip through Turkey, Jordan, Syria and

Lebanon.

Harsh winter conditions mean fewer people are risking the

sea voyage to reach Europe in January compared to theprevious months. However, there is still an average of 2,000 peoplearriving in Greece every day with an increasing percentage of women

and children.

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).

UNHCR Kosovo* update

January 2016

02 January, 2016, Greece. A volunteer battles the waves as a boatload of

refugees arrives at the Greek island of Lesvos. © UNHCR/Hereward Holland


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Harsh winter temperatures and

difficult weather conditions are

making life even tougher for

refugees. Temperatures in southern

Serbia have dropped to -10C in January.Refugees passing through the former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

had to walk in snow for more than 2

kilometers across frozen fields in the

border zone.

UNHCR, UNFPA, and the Women's Refugee Commission (WRC) highlight that refugee and

migrant women and girls on the move in Europe face grave risks of sexual and gender-based violence. After conducting a joint field assessment in November 2015 of risks involved forrefugee and migrant women and girls in Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, UNHCR,

UNFPA and WRC noted that women were among those particularly at risk and required additional

protection measures. According to the joint report issued on 20 th January, many refugee and migrant

women and girls have had already been exposed to various forms of SGBV either in their country of origin,

country of first asylum or along the journey to and in Europe.

Restrictions based on nationality continue to be implemented along the Balkans route. Some 324 individuals were returned from the Vinojug reception centre in the former Yugoslav Republic

of Macedonia to the Greek border for possessing forged documents, no documents, or for being nationals

of countries other than Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria.

As of 20th January, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia started to

implement new practice of allowing the passage through their territories. Only refugeeswith Germany or Austria marked as their final destination country on their registration documents would

be allowed to transit through the route.

UNHCR has launched a new and innovative information platform reaching out to

Eritreans and Somalis who are considering taking the perilous journey across theMediterranean into Europe. “Telling the Real Story” is a collection of testimonies by persons whohave made this voyage. This community-based information project counters the narrative of smugglers

and traffickers and helps Eritreans and Somalis take an informed decision about traveling to Europe.

Plans of Syrian refugees work permits in Turkey. Turkish Minister for European Affairs, Mr.Volkan Bozkir, announced plans to offer Syrian refugees work permits to discourage the onward

movement of refugees and migrants currently in Turkey.

Frontex launched Poseidon Rapid Intervention to support Greece in handling the

unprecedented number of refugees and migrants arriving on the islands. Poseidon RapidIntervention, will also put a greater emphasis on security checks. There are 325 Frontex officers, 11

Frontex vessels and 65 EURODAC machines present on Greek islands. Several rescue operations took place

on the waters near Lesvos, Chios and Samos for boats in distress.

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January, Refugees experiencing freezing temperatures on their

route throu h Balkans © UNHCR


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Balkan Investigative Reporting

Network (BIRN) reported that

stricter controls on FYROM’s border

with Greece have revived the

business of migrant/refugeestrafficking, prompting claims that

local residents are involved. Movements are confirmed by border police

and locals who claim that migrants are

transported by various means to the Serbian

border. It is claimed that groups of 15 to 30

individuals take this path almost every night.

Latest information is available on UNHCR website:

http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php

For more information please contact UNHCR Office of the Chief of Mission in Kosovo

Malgorzata Bratkrajc, External Relations Officer, tel: +381 38 241 509; e-mail: [email protected]

Fence at the Macedonian southern border with Greece, Photo

by: AP/Bornis Grdanoski @Balkan Insight
http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.phphttp://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.phpmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php

monthly update january 2016

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