Mediterranean migrant deaths increase

More than 2,000 migrants have died since January trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, the UN said yesterday, after 17 people were found dead off the Spanish coast this week. About 105,000 migrants and refugees seeking asylum have reached Europe so far this year, a drop to pre-2014 levels, but the drownings this year mean that the rate of deaths has escalated sharply. Spain was the top destination for migrants and refugees this year, with more than 49,000 arrivals by sea, ahead of Greece with more than 27,000 and Italy with more than 22,000. Many of the migrants make the perilous crossing on overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.