UN reveals over 2,500 now dead or missing as 186,000 cross Mediterranean in 2023

Thousands hope to reach Europe from Tunisia, which has replaced Libya as the main base of operations for migrant smuggling operations in the Mediterranean (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse /AP)

The UN refugee agency has revealed the number of refugees and migrants seeking safety in Europe has increased by 83% for 2023.

Some 186,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in southern Europe since January, with 102,000 from Tunisia alone; a 260% increase compared to the same period in 2022.