2,241 migrants die in Mediterranean Sea

By Senhan Bolelli

MADRID (AA) - A total of 2,241 irregular migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of the year, the non-profit Spanish Refugee Aid Commission (CEAR) said Thursday.

In a statement, CEAR said the number of irregular migrants who have died in the Mediterranean Sea is very high in 2018 despite a decrease compared to the previous years.

The number of irregular migrants who died on the route to Europe was 3,319 in 2017, 5,096 in 2016 and 3,771 in 2015.

Also in 2018, a total of 118,423 people arrived to Europe from Africa by sea. This figure was 172,301 in 2017, 362,753 in 2016 and over 1 million in 2015.

Meanwhile, in 2018, Spain has become the main route into Europe for irregular migrants from Africa.

Nearly, 56,480 people have arrived to the coasts of Spain and 769 irregular migrants have died on the same route since the beginning of the year.

The problem of irregular migrants could not be solved by bilateral agreements because a closed route would be replaced by another, the report said.

CEAR called on European politicians to end "discourses on fear and hatred".