UN: More than 3000 died or lost at sea trying to reach Europe

More than 3,000 migrants died or went missing while trying to reach Europe by sea, the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) has said, Report informs, citing Euronews.

The UN has called for governments to develop "alternatives" to the dangerous sea routes that asylum seekers desperately use to reach European land.

"Of this total, 1,924 people were reported dead or missing on the central and western Mediterranean routes," UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said.

"Another 1,153 died or went missing on the sea route from northwest Africa to the Canary Islands," she added.

By the end of 2020, the UN agency had recorded 1,544 migrant deaths for both sea routes.

Meanwhile, officials have warned that at least 478 people have already died or gone missing while trying to reach Europe in 2022.