More than 1 million Refugees, Militants Entered Europe this year

More than one million refugees and militants entered Europe via sea and land this year, the International Organization for Migration reported on Tuesday.

The organization stated that the 1,005,504 people were considered to be "irregular arrivals." Overall, there have been 3,692 deaths so far.

"We know migration is inevitable, necessary and desirable," said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing. "But it's not enough to count the number of those arriving - or the nearly 4,000 this year reported missing or drowned. We must also act. Migration must be legal, safe and secure for all - both for the migrants themselves and the countries that will become their new homes."

The majority of the migrants, at 971,289, made it to Europe via sea, which was considered to be more dangerous than land with 3,695 travelers either dying or missing. Swing added that the "most deadliest route" was the Mediterranean, which took 3,279 lives in 2014. That number made up 64 percent of all migrant deaths in that year.

At least 970,000 people and children crossed the Mediterranean this year, which is a huge increase from the 219,000 migrants who made the trip in 2014. The United Nations reported that the Syrian Civil War has contributed to the worst refugee crisis in more than two decades with more than seven million Syrians being displaced.

Making the trip to Europe on land was considered to be relatively safer. This year, 34,215 took a land route.

According to the IOM report, the majority of the migrants at 81.6 percent (821,008) arrived in Greece. These migrants were mainly from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Albania. The country with the second highest number of migrants was Italy with 150,317. The remaining countries were Bulgaria, Spain, Cyprus and Malta.

Reuters reported that the UNHCR, which is the U.N.'s refugee agency, is expected similar migrant patterns in 2016. IOM spokesman, Joel MIllman, stated, however that certain changes from now to 2016 could greatly affect the number of people who travel to Europe.

"So much is in the balance, the resolution of the Syrian war, and the disposition of the European border protection moves that are being contemplated," Millman said. "We never thought it would reach this level."

He added, "We just hope people are treated with dignity."