What is the European Migrant Crisis?

Before we explain anything, let us give you a brief description of the migrant crisis. The
European migrant crisis began in 2015 where a rising number migrants made their way from
war torn areas such as Western and South Asia and some parts of Africa into the European
Union to seek Asylum. The phrase European migrant crisis was widely used when five
boats carrying an estimated of 2000 migrants sank in the Mediterranean Sea with an
estimated total of 1200 deaths including men, women and children. This sparked
international attention as the total number of displaced people at the end of 2014 increased to
almost 60 million, which was the highest level since World War II.

Where do these migrants come from?

The shipwrecks took place due to the increased
amount of refugees streaming into Europe from
several countries in Middle East, South Asia and
Africa such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia.
These countries are usually poor and war-stricken
developing nations where people attempt a risky
journey through land or water to achieve what they
hope will be a better life in Europe.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
estimates that more than 920,000 migrants traveled
to Europe by sea for the first eleven months of 2015
compared to the 280,000 migrants traveling to
Europe by land and sea for the entire 2014. This
means that traveling to Europe by sea has become a
more favored way of seeking refuge in Europe.