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UN Alarmed By Rising Number of Migrant Deaths

by VOA News

   The U.N. refugee agency is expressing alarm at the number of migrants
   who died crossing the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.

   With more than two months left in 2016, at least 3,470 people died
   trying to cross the rough seas, just less than the 3,771 reported dead
   in 2015. The increased loss of life comes despite a three-fold drop in
   the number of attempted crossings, down from more than one million in
   2015 to around 327,000 this year.

   UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler says the dramatic increase in the
   number of deaths can be attributed to more dangerous routes being taken
   by refugees and lower-quality vessels being used by people smugglers.

   "The tactics of smugglers are switching too, with several occasions
   when there have been mass embarkations of thousands of people at a
   time," Spindler said. "This may be to do with the shifting smuggler
   business model or geared towards lowering detection risks, but it also
   makes the work of rescuers harder."

   In order to address the problem, Spindler said countries should expand
   their asylum programs and provide better pathways for refugees to
   safely reach their shores, including humanitarian admissions and
   private sponsorship.