At least 25 migrants trying to reach Europe smuggled to death off the coast of Tunisia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported Monday, after Tunisian authorities reported 17 deaths.
“Between Friday 18 and Saturday 19 March, the bodies of 25 people appeared on the beaches of Nabeul. It is believed that the vessel they were traveling on left the Tunisian coast several days ago with 60 people on board,” IOM said in a statement.
“The bodies are being identified, but according to information available, they could be migrants of Syrian and Tunisian nationality,” the organization added.
On Saturday, Tunisia's civil protection spokesman Moez Triaa reported that 17 migrants had been thrown by the sea off the coast of northeastern Tunisia.
On the southern shore of the Mediterranean, Tunisia and Libya are two of the main starting 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 Tunisian coasts in 2021, compared to 12,883 (including 353 women) in 2020, according to the Tunisian forum on economic and social rights, which specializes in migration issues.
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 migration route in the world, according to this body. The United Nations agency estimates that more than 18,000 migrants have died or disappeared since 2014.
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