Over the last two days, Spanish marine rescue services reported that they rescued 72 migrants from two separate boats. At least 28 are thought to still be missing from another boat found about 120 kilometers south of Gran Canaria.
More than 4,000 migrants have been returned to Libya since the beginning of the year, according to the latest IOM numbers. The report comes after two boats in the past ten days have capsized off the Libyan coast, resulting in 53 presumed deaths.
A shipwreck off Libya on Monday has left at least 14 people missing, four people dead, and just two people rescued. Nearly 500 migrants and refugees have died attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean so far this year.
The humanitarian organization Sea-Watch rescued 211 migrants from the Mediterranean over the last days, but survivors and crew had to witness some drown as they arrived too late to help.
The Turkish coast guard on Tuesday stopped 168 people aboard a fishing boat in the Aegean Sea that authorities said was headed for Italy. In March alone, Turkish authorities stopped 17,587 irregular migrants in the country who were trying to make it to Europe.