The UN Refugee Agency ( UNHCR) said the number of refugees and migrants arriving in Greece -- both by land and by sea -- is accelerating dramatically and has now reached the 160,000 mark, a UN spokesperson told reporters here Tuesday.

"The pace of arrivals has been steadily increasing in recent weeks, with more refugees and migrants having arrived in Greece during July than during the whole of last year," UN associate spokesperson Vannina Maestracci said at a daily news briefing.

UNHCR said the vast majority of people who arrived in Greece last week were Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis, confirming that the overwhelming majority or arrivals are likely to qualify for refugee status, she said, adding "UNHCR has warned of a mounting refugee crisis on the Greek islands."

"The reception infrastructure, services and registration procedures both on the islands and on the mainland need to be strengthened urgently," she said.

The UN agency is recommending Greek authorities to designate a single body to coordinate an emergency response and set up an adequate humanitarian assistance mechanism. "European countries should support Greece on these efforts, and UNHCR continues to support the Greek authorities in its efforts," said the spokesperson.

According to UN report, a total of 264,500 migrants and refugees have entered the European borders through the Mediterranean in 2015. Italy is the second highest recipient of migrants and refugees, with 104,000 arrivals.