YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. An estimated 194,611 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea in 2016, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain, through May 25. Fatalities including some 100 still missing IOM estimates at 1,475 through 2016, “Armenpress” reports citing IOM official website. 

Flavio Di Giacomo of IOM Rome notes that 37,363 migrants and refugees arrived on Italian shores through , including all rescued individuals brought ashore so far this week. That total will certainly climb today (27/5), as some 10,000 migrants and refugees have been rescued in the region since Monday,

IOM Rome reports that over two days this week, 25 May and 26 May, dozens of migrants lost their lives in three separate accidents in international waters. One incident, occurring on Wednesday in Libyan waters, involved a steel-hulled fishing boat carrying over 600 migrants that capsized as the Italian navy ship “Bettica” was preparing to transfer the migrants. In cooperation with the “Bergamini,” another Italian navy ship, Italian authorities managed to rescue 540 migrants. They recovered five corpses.

The rescued migrants were taken to Porto Empedocle. According to eyewitness accounts of the incident, some 100 people are believed to be missing. Witnesses reported that the boat may have been carrying as many as 650 passengers. They added that the vessel set sail from Sabratha, Libya, on Tuesday evening. Witnesses said that the majority of migrants rescued are Moroccans.