The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that a total of 124,118 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by sea from January 1 to November 11 this year.
According to the IOM in its latest report, Greece was the second most popular entry point with a total of 28,252 illegal immigrants and refugees followed by Italy with 22,519 with Spain taking the lead with a total of 49,912 arrivals.
The agency reported that it is the fifth consecutive year that the arrivals to Europe by sea have topped the 100,000 people threshold. The totals for the same Jan. 1-Nov. 11 period were 156,372 in 2017 and 341,215 in 2016.
Recorded deaths and missing people in the Mediterranean from the start of the year to November 11 reached 2,043, compared to 3,001 in 2017 and 4,329 in 2016.
In its report that IOM also presented data on migrant deaths, noting for Greece that 26 people died and 79 were injured in at least nine traffic accidents whilst most of the migrants involved in accidents enter Greece through the borders with Turkey at Evros River, the agency said, adding that human traffickers pick out 15- to 17-year-olds as drivers, on the premise they will not be arrested, as minors.
All dead and missing refugees and migrants globally total 3,190 individuals for 2018, the agency said.
