At least 19 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa died when their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a human rights group mentioned on Sunday.
In the previous 4 days, 5 migrant boats have sunk off the southern metropolis of Sfax, leaving 67 lacking and 9 lifeless, after a major enhance in boats heading in direction of Italy.
The Tunisian coast guard rescued 5 folks from the boat off the coast of Mahdia after a journey that began from Sfax seashores, Romadan ben Omar, an official on the Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES), mentioned.
Tunisian authorities weren’t instantly obtainable for remark.
The coast guard mentioned it had stopped about 80 boats heading for Italy prior to now 4 days and detained greater than 3,000 migrants, largely from sub-Saharan African international locations.
The coast close to Sfax has grow to be a significant departure level for folks fleeing poverty and battle in Africa and the Middle East within the hope of a greater life in Europe.
The newest catastrophe comes within the midst of a marketing campaign of arrests by the Tunisian authorities of undocumented sub-Saharan Africans.
According to UN knowledge, no less than 12,000 migrants who reached Italy this yr set sail from Tunisia, in contrast with 1,300 in the identical interval of 2022. Previously, Libya was the primary departure level for migrants.
According to FTDES statistics, Tunisia’s coast guard prevented greater than 14,000 migrants setting off in boats in the course of the first three months of this yr, in contrast with 2,900 throughout the identical interval final yr.
The Italian coast guard mentioned on Thursday it had rescued about 750 migrants in two operations off the southern Italian coast.
Europe dangers seeing an enormous wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if monetary stability in Tunisia will not be safeguarded, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mentioned on Friday. Meloni known as on the IMF and a few international locations to assist Tunisia rapidly to keep away from its collapse.
Source: www.cnn.com