Migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa use Tunisia as a departure point to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, where migrants are often met with a deadly fate
Tunisia’s interior minister, Kamel Feki, said on Wednesday, that Tunisian coast guard recovered 901 bodies of drowned migrants off its coast from January 1 to July 20 this year, marking an unprecedented number of victims off the country’s coasts.
The North Africa country is facing a record wave of migration this year and frequent catastrophes of the sinking of boats of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa heading to Italian coasts.
Feki told parliament that among 901 bodies found were 36 Tunisians and 267 foreigner migrants, while identities of the rest were unknown.
Most of the boats carrying migrants depart from the coast of the southern city of Sfax.
Thousands of undocumented migrants have flocked to the coastal city of Sfax in recent months with the goal of setting off for Europe in boats run by human traffickers, leading to an unprecedented migration crisis for Tunisia.
Official data showed that 75,065 boat migrants had reached Italy by July 14 against 31,920 in the same period last year, more than half left from Tunisia.
The European Union and Tunisia signed in July a “strategic partnership” deal that includes combating human traffickers and tightening sea borders during a sharp increase in boats leaving the North African nation for Europe.
Tunisia replaced Libya as the region’s main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe.
Migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa use Tunisia as a departure point to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, where migrants are often met with a deadly fate
SOURCE: THE NEW ARAB