The UN is urging the European Union to provide emergency financial assistance to Greece, Italy and Malta to deal with the soaring number of illegal sea crossings.

It also urged the union to overhaul its policy toward Syrian refugees, warning the number of fatal accidents at sea could rise as winter approached.

According to UN officials, more than 3,000 asylum seekers died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year. They urged the EU to provide ports for reception and to process asylum applications across member states.

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