"IOM reports that 11,010 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 5 February – about 85 percent arriving in Italy and the rest in Greece. This compares with 74,808 during the first 36 days of 2016," the press release issued on Tuesday said.
According to IOM, 9,359 people arrived in Italy, with most deaths, 228, occurring on this route.
In the first 36 days of 2016, 90 people died on their way to Italy, while the total number of deaths for a similar period of time stood at 380.
According to the press release, 1,651 people arrived in Greece between January 1 and February 5 this year, while the number of arrivals for this period in 2016 was 68,778.
Europe is currently experiencing a migration crisis, struggling to accommodate hundreds of thousands of migrants that want to settle in the European member states that are seen as the most welcoming, such as Germany or Sweden.
