TUNISIA, 27 Apr. (DPA/EP) –
The rebound in the transit of migrants in the central Mediterranean has become evident on the coast of Tunisia, where in just a few days the bodies of some one hundred migrants and refugees have been located, according to a health official from the city of Sfax, who has confirmed the arrival of all these bodies at the local morgue.
The Coast Guard has assured that, only on Monday and Tuesday, it intercepted 17 boats with a total of 524 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa. There were also Tunisians, specifically 75, while another 71 have been arrested when they were preparing to cross the sea.
The authorities estimate more than 1,800 arrests made since last Sunday in a country that has become a key crossing point on the migratory route to southern Europe, particularly to reach the Italian coast. Departures from Tunisia have skyrocketed since President Kais Saied announced a tightening of surveillance.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 660 migrants and refugees have perished this year in the central Mediterranean, a conservative figure given that there may be dozens of people who disappear at sea without trace.
