Greek island of Lesvos receives almost 10,000 migrants this week

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported Friday that 9,464 migrants had arrived between Aug. 14 and 19 on the shores of Lesvos, a Greek island separated from mainland Turkey by the narrow Mytilini Strait.

With the number of irregular migrant arrivals reaching record highs this year and migrant flows showing no sign of abating, these statistics reflect the alarming rise in the number of migrants and refugees reaching Europe via both sea and land this year, the agency said.

IOM said 55,496 irregular migrant arrivals were reported in July in Greece, where migrants enter European Union territory via a handful of Aegean Sea islands including Lesvos, Chios and Samos.

Figures furthermore indicate that since June 1 this year, 138,083 arrivals have been registered on Greek soil by IOM monitors.

This makes Greece Europe's busiest migrant destination, according to IOM, with estimations pointing towards 32,857 arrivals on the island of Lesvos in the first 19 days of August alone, making it the most popular Greek entry point for migrants leaving Turkish shores.

According to IOM, the small island of some 86,000 inhabitants lacks the necessary equipment and services to deal with the influx of migrants.

Figures indicate 2,365 individuals have lost their lives while crossing the Mediterranean Sea this year, compared to 1,779 over the same period in 2014. Endit