At the very least 19 African migrants have been killed within the newest catastrophe off Tunisia
At the very least 19 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa died when their boat sank off Tunisia whereas making an attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, a human rights group stated Sunday, within the newest migrant boat catastrophe off Tunisia.
Prior to now 4 days, 5 migrant boats sank off the southern metropolis of Sfax, leaving 67 lacking and 9 useless, after a major enhance in boats heading in the direction of Italy.
Roumdan Benomar, an official with the Discussion board for Social and Financial Rights, instructed Reuters that the Tunisian coast guard rescued 5 individuals from a ship off the coast of Mahdia after a voyage that set off from the shores of Sfax.
Tunisian authorities couldn’t be reached for remark.
The coast guard stated it had stopped some 80 boats certain for Italy previously 4 days and detained greater than 3,000 migrants, most of them from sub-Saharan African international locations.
The coast close to Sfax has turn into a serious departure level for individuals fleeing poverty and battle in Africa and the Center East with the hope of a greater life in Europe.
The most recent catastrophe comes within the midst of a marketing campaign of arrests by the Tunisian authorities of undocumented sub-Saharan Africans.
In response to UN knowledge, at the very least 12,000 migrants arriving in Italy this yr have set sail from Tunisia, in comparison with 1,300 in the identical interval in 2022. Beforehand, Libya was the principle departure level for migrants.
In response to FTDES statistics, the Tunisian Coast Guard prevented greater than 14,000 migrants from setting off on boats in the course of the first three months of this yr, in comparison with 2,900 throughout the identical interval final yr.
On Thursday, the Italian Coast Guard stated it had rescued some 750 migrants in two operations off the southern Italian coast.
Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, stated on Friday that Europe dangers seeing an enormous wave of migrants attain its shores from North Africa if monetary stability is just not assured in Tunisia. Meloni referred to as on the Worldwide Financial Fund and a few international locations to assist Tunisia shortly to keep away from its collapse.
(Reuters)
