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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that the number of migrants who died or went missing while crossing the Mediterranean fell by more than a quarter in 2018 to 2,262, compared with the 3,139 people who were reported dead or missing in the previous year.

“The Mediterranean has been, for years, the most deadly sea crossing in the world for refugees and migrants,” said Celine Schmitt, UNHCR’s spokesperson.

According to the full-year figures released by the UNHCR, the number of migrants who arrived in Europe after surviving the sea crossing also dropped to 113,482 from 172,301 in 2017.

The largest group of migrants who arrived in Europe in 2018 came from Guinea (13,068), Morocco (12,745) and Mali (10,327). Syrians (9,839) were the fourth biggest group, followed by Afghans (7,821) and Iraqis (7,333).

The UN refugee agency stated that the influx of migrants and refugees continue to reverberate across the continent. It has triggered debate about immigration policies and fuelled far-right parties in countries that have welcomed large numbers of refugees, such as Italy, Germany and Sweden.