(AFP) The number of migrants arriving in Spain by boat is surging, the UN said Tuesday, and it has now surpassed Italy as the top destination for Mediterranean crossings.
So far this year, 50,872 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe — less than half the number that made the treacherous journey during the same period of 2017, according to the UN migration agency.
But while the overall numbers have fallen dramatically, Spain has seen landings on its shores nearly triple, IOM said.
“As we have predicted for several weeks now, Spain has become the most active route of African migrants and people using Africa as a stepping stone into Europe,” agency spokesman Joel Millman told reporters in Geneva.
