UNHCR: 58,000 refugees, migrants, asylum seekers in Greece

On the occasion of today’s World Refugee Day, the Greek branch of the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR announced data concerning the number of migrants of various categories who were in Greece as of early June.

There were 58,000 refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals with no citizenship in Greece, Sabine Wahning, the head of the UNHCR representation in Greece, told journalists.

While there is an upsurge in the number of refugees worldwide, the number of refugees in Greece does exceed one percent of the number of refugees internationally.

Moreover, the majority of displaced people are not in Europe but on other continents, and mainly in less developed countries.

Of the 58,000 migrants in various categories in Greece, 16,000 are in northern Greece and Thessaly. Of these 67 percent are in Central Macedonia, 15 percent in Thessaly, 13 percent in Epirus, and five percent in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

Of these refugees and migrants nationwide, 43 percent are from Syria, 27 percent are from Iraq, seven percent are from Afghanistan, five percent from Turkey, four percent from Pakistan, two percent from Iran, 1.5 percent from Palestine, one percent from Kuwait, one percent from Congo, and five percent of other ethnicities.

Of the total number of migrants, 67 percent are asylum seekers, 16 percent are refugees, four percent are candidates for reunion with their families, and 13 percent are individuals who have been registered by police.

Arrivals, unaccompanied minors

In the first five months of 2018, approximately 11,200 migrants reached Greece by sea and 7,200 by land.

In 2017, 29,700 arrivals by sea and 5,600 by land were recorded.

There are 3,700 unaccompanied minors in Greece, of whom 96 percent are boys and only four percent are girls.

About 5.5 percent of unaccompanied minors are under the age of 14.

The total number of places in hospitality facilities are 1,091, while 2,745 minors have been placed on a waiting lists for placement.