Some 3,000 Migrants Arrive in Europe by Sea in Three Days; Total Arrivals Top 213,000 in 2016

A handout picture released by the Italian Navy shows people jumping out of a boat right before it overturns in Canal of Sicily off the Libyan coast, 25 May 2016. Photo source: EPA/BGNES

An estimated 213,581 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea between January 1 and June 15 of this year, the International Organisation for Migration announced on Friday.

This is an increase of almost 3,000 people since the previous IOM report covering the period since the start of 2016 through June 12.

Migrant arrivals totalled an estimated 146,083 in 2015 through June 30.

There were an estimated 2,859 deaths at sea in 2016 through June 15 compared with 1,838 in the first half of 2015, the IOM said in a statement.

IOM estimates that 54,778 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year. By the end of June last year, there were 70,354 arrivals in Italy.

Arrivals in Greece were estimated at 157,423, compared with 71,615 in the first half of 2015.

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