The number of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean in hoping to reach Europe so far this year has been the highest on record, according to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees.
In the first six months of 2015, 137,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean, with the majority of them searching for refuge from war, conflict or persecution. This is an 83 percent increase from the 75,000 refugees that were observed during the same period in 2014, according to a new United Nations report.
The report reveals that 34 percent of these refugees come from Syria, while 12 percent and 11 percent of the asylum seekers came from Eritrea and Afghanistan, respectively. Other countries with a notable amount of immigrants include Somalia, Iraq and Sudan.
Most of the migrants should qualify for refugee status in Europe, according to Quartz.
"As Europe debates the best way to deal with the rising crisis on the Mediterranean, we must be clear: most of the people arriving by sea in Europe are refugees, seeking protection from war and persecution," UNHCR chief António Guterres said.
