More than 2,500 migrants crossing the Mediterranean died or went missing this year

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/29/ [login to see] /migrants-mediterranean-deaths-2023
More than 2,500 migrants died or went missing this year while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe, according to the United Nations.

It's a startling two-thirds increase from last year's toll of 1,680 people in the same period, and comes as Europe sees a massive influx of migrants making the perilous journey in numbers not seen in years.

Between January and Sept. 24, about 186,000 people arrived by sea in southern Europe, landing in Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta, Ruven Menikdiwela, director of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Office in New York, told the U.N.'s Security Council on Thursday. Italy has received the majority of those arrivals, with the number of migrants arriving accelerating in recent months — over 130,000 migrants, more than double the number at the end of June and an 83% increase compared to the same period last year.