Rabat - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that 134,905 migrants already have crossed the Mediterranean this year, adding that 125,819 of these have reached the Greek islands.
According to the same source, 418 migrants are known to have drowned or are missing.
Monthly arrivals in Greece have dipped slightly from the 67,415 recorded in January to 55,633 in February, the organization said in a press release.
Thus far in March, arrivals total just 2,771, the source said, noting that in the past 14 months since the start of 2015 the total number of sea-borne arrivals in Greece has reached 970,911.
This suggests that the threshold of one million arrivals of migrants and refugees in Greece will be reached within the next two weeks.
IOM Athens reports that the Greek Asylum Service has announced that they received 1,171 asylum applications in January - 227 from Syrians, 66 from Iraqis, 52 from Yemenis and 43 from Eritreans - all nationalities fleeing places in the throes of violence and civil strife.
MWN with MAP
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