Arrivals down 29% in October from September says UNHCR

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 4 - A reported 5,500 people landed on Italy's coasts in the month of October, down 29% compared to the previous month when the arrivals recorded were 7,685, the UN Refugee agency UNHCR reported on Monday.
    Meanwhile, the body of a Syrian man believed to have died of natural causes was found on a boat that had departed from Tripoli.
    Overall, between January and August, arrivals were respectively 2,258 in January, 2,301 in February, 6,857 in March, 4,721 in April, 4,976 in May, 4,902 in June, 7,465 in July and 8,526 in August, the UN agency said.
    UNHCR also explained that the migrants who reached Italy had departed from Libya, Tunisia, Turkey and Algeria.
    Libya was the first country of departure accounting for about 65% of arrivals in Italy by sea.
    About 85% of those who reached the country in October landed on Lampedusa.
    Other ports of arrival included Crotone, Roccella Ionica, Pozzallo, Porto Empedocle, Lampione, Ravenna, Marsala, Salerno, Augusta, Bari and Carloforte.
    Since the start of the year, the prevailing nationalities of origin were: Bangladesh (20%), Syria (19%), Tunisia (13%), Egypt (7%), Guinea (6%), Pakistan (4%), Eritrea (3%), Sudan (3%), Mali (3%) and Gambia (2%), UNHCR said. (ANSA).