The estimated number of migrants and refugees who have entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 26 June has reached 222,291, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). This compared with 146,083 arrivals in the first six months of last year, the IOM said on Tuesday. Out of the 2016 total, 158,159 migrants and refugees have arrived in Greece, while 62,752 have arrived in Italy. The remainder have reached Cyprus and Malta. Migrant fatalities in the Mediterranean so far this year have reached 2,888, compared with 1,838 through the first six months of 2015. The latest two incidents involving fatalities occurred on the Central Mediterranean route to Italy, which has become the most deadly route thus far in 2016 with more than 85% of all deaths involving migrants attempting to enter Europe by sea, the IOM said. Some 6,000 migrants were rescued in the Channel of Sicily on the 24, 25 and 26 of June. Many of them were still at sea on Monday, and so they were not included in IOM’s estimate of total arrivals in Italy through 2016.
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