Tunisia: 7 corpses recovered, 30 irregular immigration operations thwarted

Seven bodies of irregular migrants were recovered from Tunisia’s southern and eastern coasts over a 24-hour period, the Tunisian National Guard said yesterday in a statement issued by its spokesman Houssam Eddine Jbabli.

“The seven bodies are African illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan countries, including two elders, four children and an infant,” Jbabli said.

The Tunisian National Guard thwarted 30 irregular migration attempts that were bound for Italy via the coasts of the southern Tunisian city of Sfax and the eastern city of Chebba between Wednesday and Thursday evening, according to Jbabli.

READ: Tunisia: 7 corpses recovered, 30 irregular immigration operations thwarted

He pointed out that 2,034 irregular immigrants were arrested. These included nine Tunisians.

On 21 February, Tunisian President Kais Saied made controversial remarks in which he said: “The undeclared goal of the successive waves of illegal immigration is to consider Tunisia a purely African country that has no affiliation to the Arab and Islamic nations.”

This led to an increase in racist attacks on sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia.

Human rights organisations denounced Saied’s remarks as “racist”.

The Mediterranean: A sea of blood – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]