17 MIGRANTS DROWN OFF THE TUNESIAN COAST

Every year, thousands of migrants make their way to the African coast in the Mediterranean, to countries such as Tunisia and Libya, which have evolved into migrant harbours in an effort to leave their current lives behind. Many migrants hope for a better and safer future in Europe and will do almost anything to leave their countries. However, crossing such a large body of water is extremely dangerous, due to weather conditions, Coast Guards or simply sinking boats. The smugglers sending the boats to Europe from northern Africa usually disregard safety concerns as their only goal is achieving more profit – the arrival of the boats on the European side is secondary for them. It is therefore not unusual that boats are overcrowded, in bad condition or not containing the necessary fuel for the journey. For the last seven years, tens of thousands have tried to cross to Europe and many have succeeded – however, approximately 12,000 people who drowned in the Mediterranean were never found. In 2021, at least 250 people have lost their lives attempting to migrate to another country.

In 2021, Tunisian authorities have already had to deal with at least three deadly boat sinking involving migrants escaping conflict or poor living conditions. In mid-May this year, another boat sunk near the town of Zarzis, in South-East Tunisia. Two women from Nigeria were saved by a naval mission and reported that their inflatable boat had sunk with 19 people aboard on Sunday 9th May. The survivors informed rescuers that they had originally left from Libya and that their engine broke down at sea, leaving them stranded. Whilst the two women were transported to a regional hospital in Zarzis, there was nothing to do for the other 17 migrants that, unfortunately, will never reach the end of the journey they took.