GENEVA / MEDITERRANEAN MIGRANTS

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned that though fewer migrants are making dangerous journey across the Mediterranean this year, as winter comes, the voyage will get more deadly. UNTV CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:00
• Production Date: 27 September 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION - IOM
• Subject Topical: MIGRANTS
• MAMS Id: 1720127
• Parent Id: 1720127
• Alternate Title: unifeed160927a

Description

STORY: GENEVA / MEDITERRANEAN MIGRANTS
TRT: 2:00
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 SEPTEMBER 2016 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Joel Millmann, Spokesperson, International Organization for Migration (IOM):
“We are still tracking the shipwreck last week that involved at least 450 migrants as our latest figures are 163 rescued, we have seen reports of 170 bodies recovered - both at sea and on the shores of Egypt- we suspect that the balance which would be around 300 people in total, may have perished in the shipwreck. It is one of the worst tragedies of this year, but not the worst.”
3. Close up, journalist
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Joel Millmann, Spokesperson, International Organization for Migration (IOM):
“We are concerned about what this says for the rest of the season as the weather turns cold and sea is getting more difficult. It is important to note that last year’s total of over a million migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy, Spain and Greece, we are not most likely be reached by any means this year. Our total right now is just over 300,000. This time last year there were 206,000 more than that. There were over half a million this time last year.”
5. Wide shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Joel Millmann, Spokesperson, International Organization for Migration (IOM):
“It is important to point it out that arrivals in Greece have fewer than 20,000 since late March when the EU –Turkey accord went into practice. Prior to that 50,000 migrants and refugees were arriving in Greece by sea from Turkey every month. So that is a dramatic change and that has to do why the total arrival numbers are so low, Nonetheless, despite the drop in arrivals which is considerable through this year, fatalities have exceeded last year.”
7. Close up, hands
8. Wide shot, journalists

Storyline

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned that though fewer migrants are making dangerous journey across the Mediterranean this year, as winter comes, the voyage will get more deadly.

Speaking to reporters today (27 Sep) in Geneva, spokesperson for IOM Joel Millmann said that the latest shipwreck off the shores of Egypt is “one of the worst tragedies of this year”, adding that “we are still tracking the shipwreck last week that involved at least 450 migrants, as our latest figures are 163 rescued, we have seen reports of 170 bodies recovered - both at sea and on the shores of Egypt- we suspect that the balance which would be around 300 people in total, may have perished in the shipwreck. It is one of the worst tragedies of this year, but not the worst.”

According to reports, the vessel traveled from Egypt to Italy and was found 12 nautical miles northeast of the town of Rosetta.

According to IOM, the number of fatalities among Mediterranean migrants and refugees as of the weekend of 25 September, stand at 3, 500, almost 600 more than the total recorded during the same period last year, when 2,926 fatalities were reported.

Millmann said that “we are concerned about what this says for the rest of the season as the weather turns cold and sea is getting more difficult. It is important to note that last year’s total of over a million migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy, Spain and Greece, will not most likely be reached by any means this year. Our total right now is just over 300,000. This time last year there were 206,000 more than that. There were over half a million this time last year.”

One of the main reasons for the drop in numbers is the EU-Turkey agreement on the return to Turkey of all "new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands", which has been active as of 20 March 2016.

He said that “it is important to point it out that arrivals in Greece have fewer than 20,000 since late March when the EU –Turkey accord went into practice, adding that “prior to that 50,000 migrants and refugees were arriving in Greece by sea from Turkey every month. So that is a dramatic change and that has to do why the total arrival numbers are so low. Nonetheless, despite the drop in arrivals which is considerably through this year, fatalities have exceeded last year.”