GENEVA (Sputnik) — According to IOM, 177,207 people managed to reach Italy, Greece, Spain and Cyprus in 2016 via the Mediterranean Sea, including 153,362 people who arrived in Greece.
The number of refugees has significantly decreased during the first half of April compared to the same period in March, according to the organization.
Europe has faced an enormous influx of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. EU border agency Frontex recorded over 1.83 million illegal border crossings into the European Union in 2015.
In return, the European Union pledged to provide a total of 3 billion euros (over $3.3 billion) to Turkey to help it provide for the refugees there, with a further 3 billion-euro provision possible, as well promising to accelerate Ankara's EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and Europe.
