Five female migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and a toddler have been discovered dead off the coast of Monastir in eastern Tunisia, a judicial official confirmed on Thursday.
Farid Ben Jha, spokesperson for the Monastir public prosecutor’s office, reported that the bodies were found on Wednesday, with investigations revealing the victims had drowned approximately a week earlier. The child, he said, was between two and three years old.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether the deaths occurred during a migration attempt or as part of a human trafficking operation.
Tunisia, along with neighbouring Libya, has become a major departure point for migrants, many from sub-Saharan Africa, who undertake dangerous sea journeys across the Mediterranean in hopes of reaching Europe.
Thousands attempt the crossing every year, with Italy, particularly the island of Lampedusa, just 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Tunisia, being a frequent destination.
Since the start of the year, at least 103 migrant boats have capsized off Tunisia’s coast, and 341 bodies, including 336 foreign nationals, have been recovered, according to the Tunisian interior ministry.
Last year alone, more than 1,300 people died or went missing in shipwrecks off the North African coast, according to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES).
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that over the past decade, more than 30,309 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean, with over 3,000 deaths recorded last year alone.