Rome, 16 August 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The number of migrants arriving by boat in Italy this year has surpassed 100,000, said Rome on Wednesday, meaning the figure has more than doubled since last year.

A report by Italy's Interior Ministry showed that up until Tuesday, 100,938 people arrived in Italy by boat in 2023, compared to 48,295 for the same time frame in 2022.

Of these, 10, 290 were unaccompanied minors, the highest number on record for that time frame since 2017, according to the ministry.

If people continue to arrive in such high numbers, the overall yearly figure could top 2016's record of 181,000.

This year, most migrants have come from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Egypt and Tunisia.

Many people brave the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to reach Italy, and thereby the European Union, from countries like Libya and Tunisia. There are often reports of fatalities after overcrowded migrant boats sink at sea.

According to data from the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2,096 people have gone missing in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year and are presumed to have drowned.

Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Georgia Meloni declared the crisis a nationwide state of emergency back in April.

On the European level, Italy is working to conclude agreements with North African countries to prevent migrant boats from leaving for Europe in the first place.

Photo: EPA