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More people than ever before are risking their lives in search of safety - the clandestine nature of these sea crossings makes reliable comparisons with previous years difficult, but available data points to 2014 being a record high. At least 348,000 people have risked such journeys worldwide since the start of January. Historically, a principal driver has been migration, but this year the number of asylum-seekers involved has grown.
UNHCR has received information of 4,272 reported deaths this year, this includes 3,419 on the Mediterranean – making it the deadliest route of all.
UNHCR is warning that the international community is losing its focus on saving lives amid confusion among coastal nations and regional blocs over how to respond to the growing number of people making risky sea journeys in search of asylum or migration.
Read UNHCR's statement on protection at sea: http://www.unrefugees.org.au/news-and-media/news-headlines/unhcr-joint-statement-on-protection-at-sea-in-the-twenty-first-century
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