About 50,000 migrants reached Europe by Mediterranean sea since the beginning of the year, the International Organization for Migration said in a statement on Tuesday.
"IOM, the UN Migration Agency reports that 49,310 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 7 May, with the vast majority arriving in Italy and the rest in Greece, Cyprus and Spain. This compares with 187,569 arrivals through 7 May 2016," the press release read.
According to the statement, over 41,000 migrants arrived in Italy, around 5.560 in Greece and 133 in Cyprus. The organization also said that 1.309 migrants died.
Europe has been experiencing a dire migration crisis, and struggles to accommodate hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to enter wealthy EU member states through various routes, including via Turkey, Italy and Greece.
SPUTNIK/MNA