As many as 45,505 irregular migrants and refugees have so far reached Europe through sea transport since the beginning of 2019 said the UN migration agency on Friday, MEM reports.
Of this figure, a total 859 reportedly died at sea, published by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Last year, nearly 64,836 refugees and migrants successfully reached Europe via sea while 1,558 are reported as drowned in waters.
While a total 23,193 irregular migrants and refugees arrived in Greece.
The number of deaths reportedly reach 57 this year on the Eastern Mediterranean route, while on the western route, 208 were reported as dead. Spain received as many as 14,680 irregular migrants and refugees according to reports.
“Arrivals this year to Greece and Spain are at 23,193 and 14,680, respectively, (37,873 combined) accounting for about 83 per cent of the regional total, with the balance arriving in much smaller numbers to Italy, Malta and Cyprus,” the IOM said in a statement on the report.
Speaking of Italy, IOM report stated a minimum 4,664 migrants have entered Italy so far in 2019 against 19,492 migrants arriving in the country last year.