More than 1 million people crossed the sea to Europe in 2015.

(Baonghean.vn) - On December 30th, according to a report by the United Nations agency on refugees, in 2015 alone, more than 1 million migrants crossed the sea to Europe - a record number to date.

The number of migrants crossing the sea to Europe in 2015 reached over 1 million. Photo: AFP.

According to statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as many as 1,000,573 people attempted to reach Europe by sea. At the end of this perilous journey, only 996,838 survived to set foot on the continent, while 3,735 perished at sea.

UNHCR estimates that 84% of migrants come from 10 countries: Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Nigeria, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Gambia, and Mali. Syrian nationals make up the majority, accounting for 49% of all migrants to Europe, followed by Afghans at 21% and Iraqis at 8%.

According to authorities, a total of 844,176 migrants arrived in Greece, 152,000 in Italy, and 105 in Malta. The report also stated that among the migrants, 58% were male, 17% were female, and 25% were children.

Chu Thanh

(According to Le Figaro)