International Organization for Migration

The number of migrants seeking protection from Bulgaria is 2526 for October 2016, according to data from the State Agency for Refugees.

The applicants were from 15 different countries.

The number from the beginning of the year (January - October, 2016) is 16 806.

State Minister Alekos Fambouraris has called for an emergency meeting at Maximos Mansion next week to discuss the migration crisis on the eastern Aegean island of Chios.

The meeting, set to take place on Monday, will be attended by Chios Mayor Manolis Vournous, regional governor for the Northern Aegean Christiana Kalogirou and local MPs.

Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas Tuesday inaugurated a new center for unaccompanied migrant minors in Paiania, east of Athens, saying the facility would host up to 100 children, while noting that hundreds of others remain in reception centers across the country.

The migrant flow from Turkey to Greece's Aegean islands has fallen sharply since March, when Ankara's deal with the EU to curb migration to Europe went into effect, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said.

An estimated 204,311 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through May 30, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. The International organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Tuesday. 

This compared with 91,860 migrants and refugees who arrived in Europe across the Mediterranean in the first five months of last year. 

An estimated 181,476 migrants and refugees have entered Europe this year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on April 26.

This compared with 52,750 migrant arrivals in Europe across the Mediterranean and Western African routes between January 1 through April 30 last year.

An estimated 178,882 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea in 2016, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) announced on Tuesday.

"Latest confirmed fatalities stand at 737," IOM said in a statement

Almost 90% of all migrants who have entered Europe by sea this year have arrived in Greece, the latest estimates of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) showed on Friday.

As of April 6, arrivals in Greece by sea for 2016 totalled 152,461, according to IOM. Another 914 migrants and refugees have arrived by land.

A total of 169,846 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea in the first three months of 2016 - more than eight times the number recorded in the same period of 2015, according to calculations of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

A record one million migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean, mostly to Greece and Italy, last year.

Scuffles have broken out between refugees and police on Tuesday at Idomeni camp close to Greece's border with Macedonia, according to greekreporter.com.

The refugees, stuck at Idomeni for more than a month now and demanding reopening of the border by the Macedonian authorities, started throwing rocks at Greek police officers who tried to clear the rail tracks from the refugees.