YEREVAN, JUNE 28, ARMENPRESS. The IOM reports an estimated 222,291 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 26 June, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Deaths in the Mediterranean so far this year are 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, which thus far in 2016 has seen 2,467 migrant drownings, or over 85% of all deaths involving migrants attempting to enter Europe by sea.

On 14 June, nine migrants were reported drowned off the Libyan coast near the port of Zuwara. On 25 June, last Saturday, 17 migrants were also reportedly lost off Libya. All the victims were reportedly Ethiopians.  Rescued migrants arriving in Brindisi told IOM staff that during their sea crossing they witnessed the migrants falling overboard from their dinghy.

IOM Rome spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo reported Monday a combined total of some 6,000 migrants were rescued in the Channel of Sicily on the 24, 25 and 26 of June. Many of the migrants were still at sea on Monday, and so they are not yet included in IOM’s estimate of total arrivals in Italy through 2016, which now stands at 62,752. Last year, during the same period, arrivals were about 59,000.