Another boat sinks off Tunisia, killing 19 African asylum seekers

Newest deaths come as Italian media report {that a} file 2,000 refugees and migrants had arrived in Lampedusa inside 24 hours.

No less than 19 refugees and migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have drowned off the coast of Tunisia whereas attempting to cross the Mediterranean and attain Italy, in line with a human rights group.

Stories of the deaths got here early on Sunday as Italy’s ANSA information company stated greater than 2,000 asylum seekers had arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa inside 24 hours.

The company described the arrivals on Saturday as a “file”.

Romdhane Ben Amor, an official on the Discussion board for Social and Financial Rights (FTDES), informed the Reuters information company that the deaths occurred when a ship carrying the refugees and migrants sank off the coast of Tunisia’s Mahdia after a journey that began from Sfax seashores.

He stated the Tunisian coast guard was capable of rescue 5 individuals from the boat.

Tunisian authorities weren’t instantly obtainable for remark.

Within the final 4 days, a minimum of 5 boats carrying refugees and migrants have sunk off the southern metropolis of Sfax, leaving 67 lacking and 9 useless.

The coast guard beforehand stated it had stopped about 80 boats heading for Italy up to now 4 days and detained greater than 3,000 individuals, principally from sub-Saharan African nations.

The coast close to Sfax has change into a serious departure level for individuals fleeing poverty and battle in Africa and the Center East within the hope of a greater life in Europe.

The newest catastrophe comes amid a marketing campaign of arrests by Tunisian authorities of undocumented sub-Saharan Africans.

In response to United Nations knowledge, a minimum of 12,000 individuals who reached Italy this yr set sail from Tunisia, in contrast with 1,300 in the identical interval of 2022.

Beforehand, Libya was the principle departure level for refugees and migrants.

In response to FTDES statistics, Tunisia’s coast guard prevented greater than 14,000 refugees and migrants from setting off in boats through the first three months of this yr, in contrast with 2,900 throughout the identical interval final yr.

The Italian coast guard stated on Thursday it had rescued about 750 asylum seekers in two operations off the southern Italian coast.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated on Friday that Europe dangers seeing an enormous wave of refugees and migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if monetary stability in Tunisia will not be safeguarded.

Meloni referred to as on the Worldwide Financial Fund and a few nations to assist Tunisia shortly to keep away from its collapse.