July 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Tunisian Coast Guard has reported this Thursday that it has recovered the bodies of thirteen migrants off the coast of the city of Sfax, one of the main departure points for migrants to Europe.
“Last night, units affiliated with the Sfax maritime region managed to thwart an attempted clandestine crossing of the maritime borders and rescued 25 sub-Saharan migrants, but thirteen bodies were recovered,” reads a brief statement.
This city has been the scene of numerous shipwrecks of boats with migrants heading to the coasts of Europe. In recent weeks, there have been clashes between the population of Sfax and the migrants arriving in this city, and the country’s authorities have proceeded to deport hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants who were in this town.
Tunisian President Kais Saied called for restoring security in Sfax, insisting that it “will never be a border guard” for other countries, that it will act as a transit or residence zone for asylum seekers and that it will turn away illegal migrants.
Numerous NGOs have accused the president of encouraging a campaign of xenophobic violence against sub-Saharan migrants who use the country as a springboard to reach Europe.
