42,000 Migrant Landings in Italy in First 5 Months of 2011

Italian officials report that 42,807 migrants landed in Italy during the first five months of 2011.  The arrivals involved 507 separate landings.  This number contrasts with 4,406 arrivals in all of 2010 involving 159 separate landings.

Most of the migrants in 2011 have been Tunisian nationals (24,356) whereas Afghans (1699) were the largest group in 2010.  Most migrants crossed the Adriatic in 2010 whereas the central Mediterranean is now the location of most migrant voyages.

2010:   Afghanistan (1699), Tunisia (650), Egypt (551), Algeria (297), Iraq (161), Iran (159) , Palestine (128), Turkey (112), Syria (100), Somalia (61), Eritrea (55).

January–May 2011:   Tunisia (24,356), Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia (combined total of 4,157), Nigeria (1689), Ghana (1312), Mali (1134), Bangladesh (827), Egypt (761), Côte d’Ivoire (730), Afghanistan (713), Pakistan (530).

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