Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-04 23:44:37|Editor: Mu XuequanVideo Player CloseMADRID, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Spain has seen a sharp increase in the number of African immigrants crossing the perilous Mediterranean to the country in the first eight months of this year, data from the Interior Ministry showed on Tuesday. According to the data, a total of 28,620 African immigrants made the dangerous sea crossing from North Africa to Spain in the period, an increase of 163 percent over the same period of last year. The immigrants made the crossing in a total of 1,168 dinghies, data showed. It should also be highlighted that the United Nations agency for refugees UNHCR estimates that 318 people either died or disappeared while trying to cross from North Africa to Spain between January and July. This tragic number is almost three times the 113 deaths registered in the same period in 2017.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 04, 2018 15:45 UTC