United Nations, Dhu-AlHijjah 8, 1435, Oct 2, 2014, SPA -- The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said Thursday that a record number of migrants this year have made the difficult crossing of the Mediterranean to Europe and called the increase “alarming.” UNHCR said in a statement that 165,000 people have made the crossing this year. Last year, 60,000 did it. Concerns have increased as migrants largely from Africa and the Middle East risk their lives in rising numbers. The refugee agency said that at least 3,000 people have died on the journey so far this year. According to UNHCR, more people are fleeing war or persecution, with people from Syria and Eritrea making up nearly half of the crossings since July 1. “If Europe fails in these efforts, many more lives will continue to be lost,” the statement said. --SPA 23:30 LOCAL TIME 20:30 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w