07 March 2017

Arefa and her children reunite with her husband in Germany. Photo: IOM IOM Turkey Helps Over 15,000 Syrians to Apply for Family Reunification in Germany  Posted on Tue. March 7, 2017 Turkey - Since July 2016, IOM Turkey has helped over 15,000 Syrians to access Germany’s Family Assistance Programme (FAP).  The programme helps vulnerable migrants to apply for German family reunification visas and avoid dangerous irregular migration by sea across the Mediterranean. Over half a million Syrians and Iraqis have registered for asylum in Germany since 2015 and approximately 320,000 have been granted refugee status, according to the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Read on | Share on  Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals Reach 19,384, Deaths: 521  Posted on Tue. March 7, 2017 Switzerland - IOM reports that 19,384 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 5 March, over 80 percent arriving in Italy and the rest in Spain and Greece. This compares with 138,524 through the first 65 days of 2016. IOM Rome spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo reports that, according to Italian Ministry of Interior figures, in 2017 15,844 migrants arrived in Italy by sea as of 6 March. On March 5th, some 1,442 migrants were brought ashore by the Italian Coast Guard and the NGOs SOS Mediterranée and ProActiva Open Arms. Read on | Share on  More IOM Headlines USD 25 Million Sought to Aid Conflict-Affected People in Ukraine in 2017 Read more International Donors Visit IOM Iraq Crisis Response Operations Read more IOM Tunisia Helps Stranded Migrants from West, Central Africa Return Home Read more Colombia Hosts International Workshop on Tuberculosis in Vulnerable Populations Read more Chinese Officials Study International Migration Law, Standards at Beijing Workshop Read more IOM Burkina Faso Opens New Boreholes in Béguédo Read more Omar: “It is important to learn about the diversity of cultures in the world and welcome them into your own.” Share on Twitter | Facebook "We need gender-specific interventions to promote women’s access to technology and ‘the changing world of work.’ These must offer women not just more dignified migration opportunities, but also better access to education, health and justice in their countries of origin." - Dr. Nenette Motus, IOM Regional Director for Asia Pacific. Read more here.

Migration in the News Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Philippine Daily Inquirer ran an Op-Ed by IOM’s Dr. Nenette Motus marking International Women’s Day 2017 and calling for the empowerment of migrant women in “the changing world of work.”      UN News reported that as a severe drought deepens in Somalia, the risk of famine is looming, with about half the population in need of some form of assistance, according to the UN.   DPA and AFP reported that Iraqi forces are edging closer to IS-occupied central parts of western Mosul, where over 45,000 people  have been displaced by fighting.   Al Jazeera reported that US-backed Iraqi forces captured Mosul's al-Hurriya bridge that leads to the IS-held city centre from the south.   Espresso and Diário de Notícias reported that a first group of six Yazidi refugee families have arrived in Portugal under the EU’s agreement to relocate refugees from Greece.   Libya Observer reported that IOM helped 163 stranded Malian migrants return home from Libya.   Guatemala’s AGN reported that the government has launched a strategy to prevent child migration and to provide care and education for children and adolescents repatriated from the United States.   Bangladesh’s The Independent reported that 13 to 40 million people living in Bangladesh’s coastal areas could be forced to migrate by the end of the century due to rising sea level, tidal surges, cyclones and increasing salinity. Trending on the Internet Food Wine Travel reviewed Liz Posmyk’s The Barber From Budapest & Other Stories, a “memoir with recipes” that looks at the migrant’s role in Australia’s history, culture and culinary growth. The author’s family travelled to Australia from Hungary as refugees with IOM. Media Contacts For comment / interviews on today's news, please go to the contact(s) listed at the end of each press briefing note. For other information please contact the IOM Media & Communications team here