New York, 29 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - About 186,000 people have already arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean this year, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.

About 130,000 were registered in Italy, an 83% increase compared to the same period last year, Ruven Menikdiwela, director of the UNHCR office in New York, told the UN Security Council.

She said more than 2,500 people were missing or had died since the start of the year to September 24.

The International Organization for Migration had recently stated there were more than 2,700 dead or missing.

Menikdiwela said more than 102,000 people attempted to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia, a 260% increase from last year. Over 45,000 had tried to cross from Libya. In addition to Italy, the boats also travelled to Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta.

The sharp increase in migration numbers had recently caused tensions within the EU over measures to limit them.