World: 4,000 refugees believed drowned at sea every year

From The Guardian:

Up to 4,000 asylum seekers drown at sea every year as they flee persecution or poverty, according to newly published British research.

Fear of terrorism and public scares about mass migration have led to more vigilant coastal patrols and an international climate that discourages captains from stopping to help small boats in distress, says Professor Michael Pugh of Plymouth University.

" ... politicians in the UK, southern Europe and Australia have fabricated refugees and migrants as a 'security threat', even sending out warships to turn back boats on the high seas. In part, this is to make capital in domestic politics."