Five sub-Saharan migrants drowned and 28 others are missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Tunisia on Wednesday (22 March), the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES), a human rights organisation, reported.
“The bodies of five migrants were found, five were rescued, and 28 are still considered missing.”said Romdhan Ben Amor, FTDES. According to him, the boat sank. “Because it was overloaded” with 38 passengers, mostly from the Ivory Coast.
The boat left the coastal region of Sfax to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa. The shipwreck is the latest such tragedy to hit the central Mediterranean, known as the world’s deadliest migration route.
Tunisian president’s anti-immigrant statement
It comes a month after an inflammatory speech by Tunisian President Kais Said accused sub-Saharan African migrants of being represented. “conspiracy” against Tunisia and being at the head of the crime wave.
His remarks sparked violence against black migrants and landlords, fearing fines, evicted hundreds of people who are now camped out on the streets of Tunisia.
About 21,000 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are in Tunisia, a country of twelve million people.
Source: Le Monde
I’m Joel Redick, a journalist currently working for an Run Down Bulletin. I specialize in writing articles on world news, and my work has been featured on multiple platforms, where I write about current affairs and global issues.
