Tunisia shipwreck kills 40 African migrants off coast

Forty migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were found dead off Tunisia’s coast on October 22 following a shipwreck, The New Arab reported.

Authorities stated that out of 70 people on board, 30 were rescued, whilst 40 bodies, including infants, were recovered. Tunisia, serves as a key transit point for migrants due to its proximity of 145 km from Italy’s Lampedusa. Around 4,000 migrants have reached Italy from its shores this year.

The tragedy comes amid increased border restrictions, and Tunisia’s $290 million EU deal to curb irregular migration, criticised by activists as a “silent genocide,” reflecting the growing dangers and desperation along the central Mediterranean route.

The New Arab and Agencies, Maghrebi.org