European Union countries plus Norway and Switzerland saw a 10 percent drop in international protection requests in 2018 compared with 2017. The EU border agency, Frontex, also says arrivals via the Central Mediterranean route in January were 73 percent down on the previous month.
In 2015, more than a million people fled to Europe, making it a record year for migration. But a lot has changed since then. As 2019 gets underway, fewer and fewer people are attempting to get to Europe by irregular means.
The mayors of some Italian and Spanish cities are challenging the politics of national sovereignty and blocked ports, by signing an alliance in support of NGOs working in migrant rescue in the Mediterranean. Just three months ahead of European elections, the signatories said the pact aims to "save Europe from itself.”
Migrant arrivals to Spain continue to increase, with 103 migrants - including seven women and 55 children - rescued in just 24 hours from four different vessels. The Spanish government aims to cut migrant arrivals in half this year compared to the 64,000 arrivals in 2018.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that 5,757 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea during the first 27 days of 2019. This marks a slight increase compared to the 5,502 registered arrivals during the same period last year.
Italian psychiatrist Gaetano Sgarlata has sounded the alarm over the psychological trauma endured by the 47 asylum seekers on the Sea Watch NGO ship due to their uncertain situation.
More than 18,000 migrants have died or gone missing between October 2013 and December 2018 in the Mediterranean Sea in an attempt to reach Europe, according to a report based on annual figures by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and its Missing Migrants project.
Italian authorities have issued arrest warrants for 14 people accused of trafficking migrants on speedboats from Tunisia. Migrants were charged as much as 3,000 euros per trip.
In 2018, more than 5,000 Tunisians left their home country for Italy alone. A new study found that Tunisia experienced a new peak of irregular emigration starting in the second half of 2017.
The Italian authorities have arrested 15 individuals on charges of terrorism and aiding and abetting clandestine immigration to Italy. They allegedly belong to a criminal organization that offered journeys on fast dinghies from Tunisia to Sicily for 2,500 euros.
While the number of deaths has fallen last year, the Mediterranean Sea remains the most deadly sea route in the world. There are still thousands who are unaccounted for.
A rescue boat with 311 migrants on board who were saved off the Libyan coast has arrived in Spain after repeatedly being denied entry by Italy and Malta. Libya, France and Tunisia also failed to respond to requests for permission to dock.