2018 sees less arrivals of migrants, refugees, but more deaths in Mediterranean: IOM

GENEVA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Migration Agency IOM on Tuesday reported that 8,154 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea through the first six weeks of 2018, less than the 12,358 arrivals across the region through the same period last year.

However, total deaths in the Mediterranean in 2018 now stand at 401, compared with 261 at this time of last year.

IOM said Tuesday that over the past five days, 11 migrants died in different incidents in the Western Mediterranean.

The Western Mediterranean already has recorded 86 deaths in just 42 days this year, nearly three times the total at this time on that route last year, it said.

Worldwide, IOM's Missing Migrants Project (MMP) has recorded 589 migrant fatalities in 2018.