Nearly 2,000 immigrants died in the Mediterranean during the first seven months of this year, with 87 per cent losing their lives in the Sicilian channel, according to Fortress Europe.

The Italy-based organisation, which monitors migration, issued estimates yesterday on the death of 1,931 migrants. The figures come as the Italian island of Lampedusa struggles with an influx of 2,000 immigrants who arrived over the weekend.

The transfer of hundreds of the migrants from Lampedusa to the Italian mainland started late yesterday. Over the weekend Malta refused to take 300 immigrants who were picked up by an Italian warship near Lampedusa. They were taken to Taranto instead.

Fortress Europe said about 25,000 people arrived in Italy from Tunisia and an equal number from Libya this year.The group said that according to official data, of the 87 per cent (1,674 immigrants) who lost their lives trying to reach Italy, 188 drowned on the Tunisian route and 1,486 after escaping Libya.

Last year the number of immigrants believed drowned in the Sicilian channel was just 20 and in 2009, 425. Since 1994, 5,962 immigrants are believed to have lost their lives in the Sicilian Channel.