"IOM reports that 16,927 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 1 March, about 80 percent arriving in Italy and the rest in Spain and Greece. This compares with 132,743 through the first 60 days of 2016," the press release said.
According to February 26 data, 16,775 migrants and refugees arrived in Europe by sea, which was a sharp decrease of refugee arrivals compared with the first 57 days of 2016, when 124,986 people entered Europe.
IOM’s Missing Migrants Project said some 487 people died trying to reach Europe through the first 60 days of 2017, compared with 426 deaths during the same period of time in 2016, with most of the deaths occurred between North Africa and Italy.
The European Union has experienced a massive refugee influx over recent years. Hundreds of thousands of people have been fleeing violence in the Middle East and North Africa to seek asylum in European Union member states.
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