Italy sees record migrant arrivals from North Africa

ASTANA. KAZINFORM According to the Italian Ministry of Interior this year the number of migrants arriving to the country from North Africa is more than 171,000 - the highest ever level since 2014

According to the UN, the number of people that died or gone missing trying to reach the Italian shore in 2016 is also record-breaking – at about 4,690.

Italy's asylum system is under great pressure due to the number of arrivals. Today more than 176,000 people are housed in reception centers.

The majority of migrants come from Africa. Many of them have no plans to stay in Italy and intend to travel north, Kazinform refers to BBC.

The number of migrants coming to Europe through Italy has risen after routes via Greece and the Balkans were closed down as the result of the EU and Turkey agreement signed in March.

Earlier this week Italian coast guard rescued about 1,400 people off the coast of Libya.

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