Fewer migrants, but deadlier journeys to Europe

The number of migrants and refugees reaching the continent by sea has dropped sharply this year as many European countries tighten their immigration rules. But despite fewer crossings, more migrants have died. Nearly 2,300 people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, up from roughly 2,000 during the same period last year, as migrants are taking longer and more dangerous routes. In Greece, for example, arrivals are down, but deaths are up 47% as more are attempting the longer journey from eastern Libya to Crete rather than crossing the Aegean from Turkey after a crackdown on the route.