In recent months the main migrant influx has been to the Greek holiday islands lying off Turkey's Aegean coast.In this week's previous sinking in the Aegean, Greek authorities confirmed the deaths of 16 migrants off Lesbos after their boat broke up in rough seas late on Wednesday. Rescuers managed to save 274 people.
Thousands have been arriving on Lesbos every day after making the dangerous journey from Turkey. People traffickers usually pack them onto unseaworthy boats, often inflatable dinghies.The UN estimates that more than 700,000 migrants have crossed to Europe by boat so far this year - many of them refugees from war-torn Syria. The approach of winter has so far done little to slow the flow.
The EU is deploying its Frontex border force to new "hotspots" - migrant reception centres in Greece and Italy where local officials are overwhelmed by the numbers. Frontex aims to help speed up the registration of migrants.But Frontex is stretched - EU member states have not met their targets for equipping and staffing the agency.
Thousands continue to head north from Greece, braving freezing temperatures in the hope of getting asylum in Germany.Germany expects to receive about one million refugees and migrants this year alone.
