The number of migrants who died crossing the Mediterranean Sea surpassed 3,000 for the fourth year in a row, despite an overall drop in the number of refugees making the journey.
The International Organization for Migration has called the Mediterranean "by far the world's deadliest border," as more than 33,000 migrants have died at sea trying to enter Europe since 2000.
More than 3,100 migrants died making the trip in 2017, but the IOM notes the number of fatalities is likely higher due to the number of boats that sink without rescue crews knowing. Last year, more than 5,000 people died along the sea route.
The Libyan Navy said on Saturday at least 25 migrants drowned off the country's coast after their boat capsized in international waters, the Associated Press reports.
In a separate incident, the Italian coast guard on Saturday recovered the bodies of eight migrants and rescued 84 others from a smugglers' boat off the Libyan coast. The AP reports the migrants were in the water for hours before being saved and dozens could still be missing.
The IOM reported on Friday that 171,635 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017, down from 363,504 arrivals last year. The majority of those migrants arrived in Italy, followed by Greece, Spain and Cyprus.
