Med migrant death toll tops thousand mark

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More than 1 000 migrants died in the Mediterranean Sea this year, the sixth year in a row that “bleak milestone” has been reached, the United Nations refugee agency said.

“UNHCR is urgently calling for an increase in search and rescue capacity, including a return of EU state vessels to search and rescue operations and acknowledgement of the crucial role of NGO boats in saving lives at sea,” UNHCR spokesman Charlie Yaxley said in a statement.

At least 15 000 people died in Mediterranean crossings since 2014, the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.