At least 19 migrants die as boat sinks off Tunisia

Tunisia: At least 19 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa died when their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy.

In the past four days, five migrant boats have sunk off the southern city of Sfax, leaving 67 missing and 9 dead, after a significant increase in boats heading towards Italy.

According to UN data, at least 12,000 migrants who reached Italy in 2023 set sail from Tunisia, compared with 1,300 in the same period of 2022. Previously, Libya was the main departure point for migrants.

Tunisia’s coast guard prevented more than 14,000 migrants setting off in boats during the first three months of 2023, compared with 2,900 during the same period last year.