Tunisian authorities recovered the bodies of 27 migrants after a boat capsized off the country’s eastern coast, a regional health official said on Thursday. Hatem Al-Sharif, health director for Sfax province, said 25 other people were pulled to safety after the boat went down near the Kerkennah Islands on Wednesday. He said everyone aboard was a sub-Saharan African migrant travelling irregularly.
It was the second such incident in a week. On Monday, officials said two bodies were recovered and 17 people rescued after a makeshift boat broke down off Tunisia’s northern coast.
What the National Guard figures show
Figures from the National Guard point in two directions. Between January and May 2024, Tunisian authorities retrieved the bodies of 462 migrants, down from 714 over the same months of 2023. Over that period, 30,281 migrants were rescued in 2024, compared with 21,652 the year before.
A route under pressure
Tunisia has become a main departure point for irregular migrants heading to Europe as it faces deepening economic and political crises. Authorities announce thwarted attempts nearly every week.
The European Union has tried to slow the flow. In September 2023, the European Commission pledged €127 million ($132 million) in aid to Tunisia under a memorandum of understanding that covers migration and other matters.
Sources
- TRT World – Several sub-Saharan migrants die as boat capsizes off Tunisia's east coast
- 27 sub-Saharan African migrants die off Tunisia’s eastern coast
