The coastguard of Tunisia has recovered the bodies of 16 migrants and refugees off the country’s eastern coast, marking yet another tragic incident in the ongoing Mediterranean migration crisis. According to the National Guard, the bodies were discovered over the weekend and on Monday, but have yet to be identified due to the advanced state of decomposition. Houssem Eddine Jebabli, a senior official in the National Guard, confirmed that samples have been taken for identification purposes.
The bodies were found in three different areas of Mahdia, a region recognized for high irregular migration activity. Tunisia and neighboring Libya have become key departure points for migrants, mainly from various African countries, who take dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean seeking better opportunities in Europe. Many of these migrants aim for Italy, especially Lampedusa, which is only 150 kilometers from Tunisia.
This incident follows a heartbreaking event last month when at least 15 Tunisians, including three infants, lost their lives, and 10 others went missing after their boat sank off Djerba while attempting to reach Europe. At least 29 individuals were rescued during that tragedy, and the bodies of 13 sub-Saharan African migrants were also recovered in the same region.
As of January 1 this year, the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior reported that at least 103 makeshift boats have capsized, leading to the recovery of 341 bodies along the coast. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) highlighted that over 1,300 people died or went missing last year in similar shipwrecks off the North African coast.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that over 30,309 migrants and refugees have died in the Mediterranean in the past decade, including more than 3,000 last year. Despite the risks, tens of thousands still make the dangerous journey in search of safety and a better life.