More migrant children drown off Turkey

As European Union and African leaders gathered in Malta to discuss measures to stem the flow of people into Europe, fourteen migrants were confirmed to have drowned in the latest boat sinking.

Seven of those who died in the mishap when a wooden boat sank between Turkey and the Greek island of Lesbos were children. Coastguards rescued 27 survivors.

The UN says nearly 800,000 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea so far in 2015, while some 3,440 have died or gone missing making the journey.

Some 150,000 people from African countries such as Eritrea, Nigeria and Somalia have made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean from Africa so far this year, arriving mainly in Italy and Malta.

Read also: Austria: Over 70 migrants found dead in lorry

But this has been dwarfed by the arrival of some 650,000 people – mostly Syrians – via Turkey and Greece.

Meanwhile, Slovenia has begun building a razor-wire fence along its border with Croatia, a day after the government said it would install “temporary technical obstacles”, but stressed official border crossings would remain open and that the move was designed to restore order.

Croatia criticised the Slovenian fence, saying it would be better to spend money on preparing reception centres for migrants.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now