At least 25 migrants trying to reach Europe clandestinely have drowned off the coast of Tunisia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday, after Tunisian authorities reported 17 deaths.
“Between Friday March 18 and Saturday March 19, the bodies of 25 people washed up on the beaches of Nabeul. It is believed that the boat they were traveling in left the Tunisian coast several days ago with 60 people on board,” the statement said. IOM in a statement.
“The bodies are being identified, but according to available information, they could be migrants of Syrian and Tunisian nationality,” the organization added.
On Saturday, Tunisian civil protection spokesman Moez Triaa reported that 17 migrants had been thrown into the sea off the coast of northeastern Tunisia.
On the southern shore of the Mediterranean, Tunisia and Libya are two of the main departure points for migrants who dream of a better life in Europe, often fleeing conflict or poverty.
In total, 15,671 migrants, including 584 women, managed to reach Italian soil from the Tunisian coast in 2021, compared to 12,883 (including 353 women) in 2020, according to the Tunisian forum for economic and social rights, specialized in the migration issue. .
Nearly 2,000 migrants are missing or drowned in the Mediterranean last year, up from 1,401 in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The central Mediterranean is the most dangerous migratory route in the world, according to this organization. The United Nations agency estimates that more than 18,000 migrants have died or disappeared since 2014.
