Spring weather sparks rush of attempts to cross the Med with more than 6,000 rescued in the last few DAYS
The IOM said around 500 migrants are believed to have drowned so far this year
The charity is dealing with an unprecedented amount of migrants and deaths
More than 20,000 people have arrived in Europe this year via the Mediterranean
The number of deaths roughly three times higher than it was this time last year
By GARETH DAVIES
21 March 2017

More than 6,000 migrants have been rescued on the central Mediterranean route from Libya to Italy in the last few days as greater numbers take to the sea in warmer weather.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday around 500 migrants are believed to have drowned so far this year, compared to 159 in the same period last year.

A spokesman said the number of people arriving in Europe, mainly travelling from Libya to Italy, and the subsequent deaths is at an unprecedented level.


Migrants wait to be rescued from a sinking dingey off the Libyan coasal town of Zawiyah, east of the capital, on March 20, 2017, as they attempted to cross from the Mediterranean to Europe






This rescue on the weekend of more than 3,300 migrants was set to bring the total of arrivals in Italy to over 20,000 this year.

Meanwhile, the UN children's agency says many child asylum seekers in Germany still have to spend long periods in unsafe and overcrowded shelters, and some have only limited access to education and don't receive adequate health care.

A study by UNICEF on the situation of 350,000 children and teenagers who have come to Germany as asylum seekers since 2015 says they often spend months or years in shelters where they sometimes witness or are exposed to violence and abuse.

The report released Tuesday said only a third of all children in asylum shelters have access to education.

It adds that refugee children don't have the same access to treatment of chronic and psychological illnesses as German kids.

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