Migrant Crisis: Refugee crossings of Mediterranean to Europe rise to 473,887 in 2015 - IOM

The total represents an increase of almost 9,000 from the total the Geneva-based agency gave on Tuesday. But the rate of increase has slowed.

A record 473,887 refugees and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe so far in 2015, the International Organization for Migration said on Friday, including at least 182,000 Syrians - almost 40 percent of the total.

The total represents an increase of almost 9,000 from the total the Geneva-based agency gave on Tuesday. But the rate of increase has slowed.

On Tuesday, the IOM said the number of crossings had jumped by more than 32,000 since the previous Friday.