Over 2,000 migrants have died so far this year trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Advertisement
“The organization believes that more migrants will attempt to reach European shores as the summer progresses”, he added.
A human rights group says almost 2,000 migrants are known to have died so far this year crossing the Mediterranean, outpacing last year’s death toll.
Virri said about 97,000 of the migrants had arrived in Italy and 90,500 landed in Greece.
The latest incident, which pushed the death toll past the tragic mark, occurred last week in the Channel of Sicily when the engine of a boat that was taking hundreds of migrants to Europe overheated, forcing them to use drinking water as a coolant.
The victims, four women and one man, were found dead on a boat that was rescued on Saturday with 112 people on board, and appeared to have died of dehydration.
IOM spokesman Itayi Virri told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that increased EU efforts to rescue migrants at sea meant “a lot of people have been saved who otherwise would have lost their lives”.
Advertisement
An aid worker claims people traffickers are making more money since security was stepped up in Calais.
