The world is presently experiencing a wave of migration of a size unseen since World War II. Western European governments are facing a surge in asylum seekers and refugees unparalleled since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the war in the former Yugoslavia.[i] The International Organization on Migration reports that 350,000 migrants have reached Europe in 2015 as of September 1, and many more have likely entered undetected.[iv] This figure represents 40% more migrants[ii] than those to have reached Europe in all of 2014.[iii] More than 264,000 people have sought asylum in 28 European countries in 2015, with Germany, France, Sweden, and Italy receiving the majority of applications.[v] The crisis is far from over, as migrants and refugees continue to enter Europe, primarily from Greece and Italy, and to transit through countries including Macedonia, Serbia, Austria and Hungary in search of protection. For example, UNHCR has projected that Macedonia alone can expect that 3,000 new migrants will arrive each day over the coming months.
URL : http://www.jbi-humanrights.org/files/jbi-backgrounder-on-the-european-migration-crisis.pdf