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Nearly 130,000 maritime migrants reach EU in first two months of 2016: IOM

Xinhua, March 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Some 129,455 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe by sea since the beginning of 2016, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) revealed Tuesday.

"The numbers still fall short of 2015's total, when over one million sea-borne arrivals were recorded. However, with ten months left, it appears likely that last year's total will be surpassed, possibly before the end of summer," IOM indicated in a statement.

To date, around 120,369 migrants have reached Greek shores, with the remaining 9,086 arriving in Italy.

418 people have lost their lives so far this year while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, often in arduous winter weather conditions and using unsuitable embarkations.

By the far the deadliest route, the eastern Mediterranean passage separating Turkey and Greece has claimed the lives of 321 individuals in 2016's first nine weeks, 77 of which were children.

The central Mediterranean route linking North Africa with Italy has seen 97 migrants lose their lives.

This death toll represents a slight drop compared to the 428 fatalities recorded over the same period in 2015.

"In some ways 2016's lower total of fatalities thus far is a sign that a surge of crossings between Turkey and Greece reveals the rather routine way smugglers have abetted loss of life from drownings or exposure," IOM explained. Endit