181,436 Sea arrivals Jan-Dec 2016
153,842 Sea arrivals Jan-Dec 2015
Between 1 January and 31 December 2016, 181,436 persons arrived to Italy by sea, compared to 153,842 sea arrivals in 2015. This represents an 18% increase compared to last year.
The arrival trend in the first nine months of 2016 is consistent with previous years, with a surge from spring onwards and a peak in the summer months. This pattern changed in October when numbers peaked and continued to be unseasonably high in November. December arrivals this year (8,428) were instead lower than numbers recorded over the same period of 2015 (9,637). Fluctuations on a monthly basis may be linked to various factors including favourable weather and sea conditions as well as the situation in the country of departure and the capacity of smugglers to organize departures.