Over 39 Migrants Drown Off Tunisian Coast In Boat Mishap

Rescue Operations ensured that there were at least 165 survivors from the mishaps

It was not immediately clear what caused both boats to capsize, but vessels leaving the North African coast for Europe are often heavily overloaded makeshift crafts, departing at night even in rough weather to avoid detection from the coastguard.

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Tunisian National Guard spokesman Houcem Eddine Jebabli said the ‘search is still on for survivors and bodies’.

The defence ministry said 39 bodies had been retrieved so far, with children among the dead, but no further details were given.

The boats left shore overnight carrying mainly migrants from sub-Saharan Africa dreaming of reaching Europe, but they were spotted by the coastguard off the Tunisian port of Sfax, according to the authorities.

Last year saw an upsurge of makeshift boats attempting to cross the central Mediterranean, the deadliest route for would-be migrants to Europe.

Such vessels have continued to take to the sea almost daily this year, despite frequent poor weather.

‘Departures have continued to rise,’ said Romdhane Ben Amor, of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights.

Since the beginning of 2021, 94 migrant boats have been intercepted, according to a count kept by his organisation, against 47 in the same period of 2020.

Meanwhile, 1,736 people have been arrested for attempting the crossing, around double the number in the same period last year.

Between January 1 and February 21, 3,800 migrants arrived illegally in Italy by sea, according to the UN refugee agency, including nearly 1,000 via Tunisia, and 2,500 via neighbouring Libya.

Among illegal arrivals in Italy during 2020, Tunisian citizens constituted the biggest national contingent, numbering 12,000, the UNHCR said.

Many foreign nationals have always Tunisia as a jumping-off point for Europe.