Tunisia: Search intensifies for 40 missing migrants
On the 19th of January, Asharq Al-Awsat plus agencies reported that a security official in Tunisia announced that the search for the 40 missing Tunisian migrants, is still ongoing.
The migrants disappeared on a boat a week ago. The main focus areas of the search are Sfax and Mahdia coasts.
However, the German Press Agency reported on the 17th of January that according to the National Guard spokesperson, Hossam EL-Din El-Jababli, the whereabouts of the missing migrants are currently unknown.
A local media reported that on the 16th of January, families of the missing migrants erected roadblocks and set tires ablaze in the town of EL Hancha. This was due to the frustration over the lack of updates since the disappearance of the boat.
Security information revealed that the boat was set to sail late at night on January 10, from the Sfax coast with the aim of crossing the Mediterranean for entry into Italy. However, no information regarding the incident has been provided by Italian authorities.
Tunisian coasts have experienced a surge in migrant journeys seeking routes to Italy, especially from sub-Saharan Africa. Thousands of migrants from this region reside in Coastal cities.
READ: Tunisia: Human trafficking ring’s failed operation to EU exposed (maghrebi.org)
The main departure points for thousands of illegal migrants escaping to Europe are Eastern Tunisia and Libya.
As a result, the International Organization for Migration reported that more than 2270 people died, attempting to cross the central Mediterranean in 2023. This is a 60 percent increase from the previous year.
Asharq Al-Awsat plus agencies
