Nearly 5,000 migrants reach Europe, over 200 perish: UN

Rome Jan 24 (IANS/AKI) A total of 4 485 migrants and refugees entered Europe across the Mediterranean till January 21 while 201 perished at sea the United Nations migration agency IOM reported.

The arrivals compare with 3 335 over the similar period in 2017. Italy accounts for approximately 60 per cent of the total with the remainder split between Spain (19 per cent) and Greece (20 per cent) the IOM said in a report.

Of this year s deaths 179 occurred between North Africa and Italy and the remaining 22 on the Western Mediterranean route to Spain it said

A total of 2 749 migrants or refugees arrived in Italy by sea this month the IOM had reported earlier citing figures from the country s Interior Ministry. This year s landings in Italy are around 15 per cent higher than in the same period last year according to the data it said.

--IANS/AKI
vd