New deaths put Italy on track for sombre migrant records / Mediterranean death toll soars, 2016 is deadliest year yet / Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals Reach 328,225; Deaths at Sea: 3,671

Italy’s coastguard announced on 24 October 2016 that another 16 people had died during operations in which 2,200 migrants were rescued off Libya, propelling both deaths at sea and the numbers arriving in the country towards new highs.

The interior ministry said that the latest arrivals had lifted to more than 153,000 the total number of asylum seekers and economic migrants who have arrived in Italy since the start of 2016, equalling the full-year number for the previous year.

These figures were in the context of figures published by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on the 25 October 2016.

With two months still to go, deaths of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean so far in 2016 had hit a record high, UNHCR said.

Expressing alarm at the situation, UNHCR reported that 3,740 lives had been lost so far in 2016, just short of the 3,771 reported for the whole of 2015. From one death for every 269 arrivals in 2015, in 2016 the likelihood of dying had spiralled to one in 88.

IOM reported that 328,225 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 up to the 23 October 2016, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy. Some 169,302 people had arrived in Greece and 153,450 in Italy during 2016. The total was well below the number of arrivals at this point in 2015, by which nearly 690,000 migrants and refugees had made the journey.

ESO: Background information: Nearly 10,000 migrants rescued on Mediterranean in two days http://www.europeansources.info/record/nearly-10000-migrants-rescued-on-mediterranean-in-two-days/

The Local.it, 24.10.16: Over 4,000 migrants arrive at Italy's ports, as ministers urge EU to do more https://www.thelocal.it/20161024/thousands-of-migrants-arrive-at-italys-ports-as-ministers-urge-eu-to-do-more

Deutsche Welle, 24.10.16: Italy's coast guard rescues 2,200 migrants in Mediterranean http://dw.com/p/2Revz

The Independent, 12.10.16: Arrivals to Italy now main concern of migration crisis, says EU border guard http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-migrant-crisis-italy-smugglers-greece-libya-eu-frontex-a7358146.html

IOM: Press Release, 25.10.16: Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals Reach 328,225; Deaths at Sea: 3,671 http://www.iom.int/news/mediterranean-migrant-arrivals-reach-328225-deaths-sea-3671

UNHCR: Press Release, 25.10.16: Mediterranean death toll soars, 2016 is deadliest year yet http://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/latest/2016/10/580f3e684/mediterranean-death-toll-soars-2016-deadliest-year.html

Politico, 27.10.16: UN: Record number of refugees dying on Mediterranean http://www.politico.eu/article/un-record-number-refugees-dying-on-mediterranean-sea-migrants/

EurActiv, 29.11.16: Record number of boat migrants reach Italy in 2016 http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/record-number-of-boat-migrants-reach-italy-in-2016/

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