UN: Mediterranean migrant death toll nears 2,000

By Fatih Erel

GENEVA (AA) - Mediterranean migrant arrivals in Europe this year so far has passed the 81,000 mark as the death toll from these dangerous sea journeys neared 2,000, the UN said on Tuesday.

The new totals come after nearly 130 refugees were feared drowned in last few days in the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

Spokesman Joel Millman told a news conference in Geneva, 85 percent of the 81,292 migrant arrivals landed in Italy with the rest coming ashore in Greece, Spain and the island of Cyprus.

This compared to 215,702 arrivals across the region through 18 June 2016, he added.

According to the IOM, about 126 refugees are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean on Thursday after Libyan smugglers stole the engine of their dinghy.

Seven more migrants were also feared missing on Monday, the IOM added.

This year, 277 bodies have been retrieved from Libya’s shores while just over 10,000 migrants have been rescued in the North African country’s waters, IOM figures stated.