Migrant arrivals in the Mediterranean in 2018 exceed 100,000 and deaths more than 2,000, according to UN agencies – Xinhua

GENEVA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) – UN agencies announced Tuesday that the number of migrants and refugees who died across the Mediterranean this year has exceeded 2,000, while the number of people crossing the sea has reached 100. 630.

Charlie Yaxely, UNHCR spokesman for refugees, said at a press conference at the UN: "Some 17 people have been found dead this week off the Spanish coast, which means that the number of lives lost in the Mediterranean has now exceeded 2,000 ".

"The Mediterranean has been for several years the world's deadliest sea lane for refugees and migrants, and the fact that this should be so should be unacceptable to all," he said.

He said that about 105,000 asylum seekers and migrants had reached Europe this year, which represents a return to levels before 2014.

"However, the 2,000 drownings mean that the death rate, especially in the central Mediterranean, has risen sharply," said Yaxley, adding that in September, one person had been lost to eight people.

"This is largely due to the substantial reduction in search and rescue capacity," said the spokesman for UNHCR.

At the same briefing, Joel Millman, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the number of migrants and refugees entering Europe by sea from 2018 to 4 November marked the fifth consecutive year.

IOM said the 100,630 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea from 2018 to November 4, of which 49,013 to Spain, the region's most active destination this year, have registered a little less than 50% of arrivals in 2018.

The total number of arrivals from the region during the recent weekend is to be compared to the 154,825 arrivals in the region during the same period last year and 337,773 at this stage in 2016 , said the IOM.

"This marks the fifth consecutive year of arrivals of irregular migrants and refugees exceeding the threshold of 100,000 – even though in all previous years, this threshold was reached much earlier in the year," he said. said Millman.

Last year, this amount of arrivals was reached in July, as it did in 2014. In 2015, arrivals in the Mediterranean reached 100,000 in June. In 2016, the number was reached in February.