GENEVA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported Tuesday that 45,118 migrants and refugees have reached Italy by sea this year, accounting for close to 85 percent of total Mediterranean maritime arrivals in Europe since the start of 2017.
According to the Geneva-based organization, a further 6,095 individuals have landed in Greece, Spain (2,426) and Cyprus (273).
Unsurprisingly, the central Mediterranean route linking north Africa with Italy remains the deadliest route for migrants striving to reach European shores.
According to IOM's latest figures, 1,229 men, women and children have died on that route, with a further 87 drowning on western and eastern passages.
While the number of arrivals by sea in Europe this year remains far below the 189,075 entries recorded last year over the same period, the number of fatalities is almost as high.
IOM reported that 1,316 individuals have died so far this year, just short of the 1,382 deaths recorded over the same period in 2016.
