Site icon Middle East Monitor

Five dead, six missing as migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

3 years ago
Migrants rescued by Tunisia's national guard during an attempted crossing of the Mediterranean by boat arrive at the port of el-Ketef in Ben Guerdane in southern Tunisia near the border with Libya on June 27, 2021 [FATHI NASRI/AFP via Getty Images]

Migrants rescued by Tunisia's national guards on 27 June 2021 [FATHI NASRI/AFP/Getty Images]

The Tunisian coast guard recovered five migrant bodies and rescued 21 others as their boat capsized off the coast of eastern Sfax city, state media said on Friday, and Anadolu News Agency reports.

Efforts are ongoing to find the six migrants who went missing, the official Tunisian news agency reported, citing a statement by the Defence Ministry spokesman.

Almost on a daily basis, the Tunisian authorities stop illegal migration attempts and arrest hundreds of irregular migrants.

For years, Maghreb countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Morocco have witnessed attempts by migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, to reach Europe, hoping for a better life. While some of the migrants manage to reach their destination, others often die during the journey.

READ:  Tunisia: Ennahda condemns the murder of one of Friday protesters

Exit mobile version