At least 60 migrants were killed off the Tunisian coast in less than three days. They hoped to reach Europe by boat via the Mediterranean.
The Tunisian coast guard recovered 21 bodies from the waters of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa today. Fifty others were rescued from a boat that left Sfax in the center of the country. Their boat sank yesterday.
On Saturday, 43 migrants disappeared after their boat from Libya capsized off the coast of Zarzis in southern Tunisia. Of the 127 people on board, 84 could be rescued and 43 others are still missing. The rescued migrants come from Bangladesh, Sudan, Eritrea, Egypt and Chad, among other countries.
The boats sank
Since June 26, four boats from Sfax have sunk. 78 migrants were rescued and 49 bodies pulled from the waters.
The number of migrants wishing to cross the border into Europe from Tunisia has never been this high this year. It is increasingly about foreigners (not Tunisians).
73% increase
More and more migrants are also leaving from neighboring Libya. Between January and April 2021, 11,000 people ventured to cross. This is 73 percent more than the same period last year. The increase is mainly due to the deteriorating conditions of foreigners in Libya, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Since the beginning of 2021, 866 migrants have died or gone missing on their way to Europe via the Mediterranean.
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