The death toll from the shipwreck on Tuesday off Tunisia of a migrant boat from sub-Saharan Africa has risen to 32 after eight new bodies were found, the Tunisian coast guard announced on Friday.
The day after the sinking of this boat in the Mediterranean off Sfax in central-eastern Tunisia, the coast guards reported ten dead before revising this toll upwards on Thursday after recovering 14 new bodies of migrants as well than that of the Tunisian "
captain
" of the damaged boat.
Intensified departures
On Friday, the spokesman for the National Guard, the authority responsible for the Coast Guard, announced that the latter had recovered eight new bodies of migrants during the search operations, bringing to 32 the number of nationals of countries. from sub-Saharan Africa who perished in this migratory tragedy.
Dozens of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have perished in recent weeks after the sinking off Tunisia of makeshift boats transporting them clandestinely to Europe.
Tunisia, some portions of the coastline of which are less than 150 km from the Italian island of Lampedusa, very regularly records attempts by migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan African countries, to leave for Italy.
The departures intensified after a speech on February 21 by Tunisian President Kais Saied slamming illegal immigration, presenting it as a demographic threat to his country.
Most of the African migrants present in Tunisia arrive there to then attempt to immigrate illegally by sea to Europe.