On Wednesday, Tunisian authorities announced the recovery of the bodies of 13 irregular migrants of African descent off the coast of Mahdia, located in the eastern part of the country.
Farid ben Haja, the spokesperson for the Mahdia and Monastir courts, informed Anadolu that the bodies were found on Tuesday, washed ashore in the villages of Salakta and the city of Chebba.
He noted that all the deceased were male, and preliminary examinations suggested they were irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Ben Haja added that judicial authorities have initiated an investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
On September 12, Tunisian authorities reported the recovery of six female irregular migrants, including an infant, off the coast of Monastir.
A report from the Tunisian National Guard in June indicated that 462 irregular migrants’ bodies had been recovered from the start of 2024 until May, a decrease compared to 714 during the same period in 2023.
Additionally, the report highlighted that 30,281 irregular migrants were rescued this year, compared to 21,652 in the previous year.
Tunisian authorities frequently announce the interception of attempts at irregular migration to European shores, detaining hundreds of migrants from Tunisia and other African nations, who are fleeing the effects of economic and political crises in their home countries.
As Tunisia faces mounting European pressure to improve surveillance of its shores and prevent migrant boats from departing, the European Commission announced in September 2023 that it would allocate €127 million ($141.3 million) in aid to Tunisia. This funding is part of a memorandum of understanding aimed at addressing issues such as the reduction of irregular migration flows.
