At least 19 migrants died this Sunday and another five were rescued, all from sub-Saharan Africa, after the precarious boat in which they were traveling sank off the Tunisian coast of Mahdia (south), announced a non-governmental organization (NGO).
According to the spokesman for the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), Romdhane Ben Amor, this is the third deadly shipwreck in 72 hours, with at least 24 dead and 62 missing, while 40 others survived.
Some 30 organizations on Friday accused the Interior Ministry of cracking down on humanitarian campaigns to help migrants, after President Kais Said accused them of being part of a conspiracy to change demographics and “Arab-Muslim” identity. ” from the country.
The latest FTDES report reveals that security forces have intercepted close to 10,000 migrants since the beginning of the year, compared to 3,000 during the same period last year.
This rise in arrivals on the Italian coast, 150 kilometers away, coincides with a campaign of arrests and xenophobic attacks against sub-Saharans after the president’s speech, which he said was not racist “because he has African friends” and accused his detractors of misrepresenting his words to harm the country.
Following criticism from the international community, the Tunisian government announced measures to facilitate legal residency and voluntary repatriation, as well as a helpline.
However, hundreds of them, mostly from the Ivory Coast and Guinea-Conakry, requested voluntary return to their respective countries after having lost their jobs -almost always in the informal economy- and, in some cases, having been expelled. from their homes. by their owners.
According to statistics from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, more than 18,000 Tunisian immigrants -4,000 of whom are minors- arrived on its shores last year and at least 600 people lost their lives in their attempt to cross the Central Mediterranean, which also includes the libyan. coast and is considered the deadliest migration route in the world.
Source: TSF
