More than one million migrants and refugees reached Europe this year have reached Europe by sea this year, according to the UN refugee agency.

‘The UNHCR said 1,000,573 people had made the sea journey to Europe, nearly half of them from Syria’, reported ABC News.

he figure is a nearly five-fold increase on 2014, when 219,000 asylum seekers arrived by boat.’

‘More than 3,700 people died on the perilous sea route, the agency said, which is often traversed in unseaworthy boats and inflatable dinghies.’

‘The vast majority of those attempting this dangerous crossing are in need of international protection, fleeing war, violence and persecution in their country of origin,’ the UNHCR said on its website.

‘Every year these movements continue to exact a devastating toll on human life.’

‘Greece was by far the most popular arrival point, with 844,176 arrivals, many of them on Lesvos island.’

‘Italy was the arrival point for 152,700 asylum seekers, while 3,592 arrived in Spain.’

‘The world’s top 10 refugee-producing countries accounted for 90 per cent of sea arrivals, the agency said.

Journey in search of a better life

‘ABC also reported Syria accounted for 49 per cent of arrivals and Afghanistan 21 per cent, while 8 per cent were from Iraq.

Nearly six out of 10 arrivals were men. Children accounted for 25 per cent and women 17 per cent.’

‘Earlier this month, the International Organisation of Migration said roughly 1,005,504 asylum seekers and migrants had arrived in Europe in 2015, with just 3 per cent coming via land.’

Germany said 964,574 asylum seekers had registered in the country as of earlier this month, including 206,101 in November alone.