At least 34 Sub-Saharan African migrants, including children and infants, are lost off the coast of Tunisia after their boat capsized. It’s the fifth migrant boat to go down in two days, with seven confirmed dead and 67 still missing. Authorities think the boat was on its way to Italy.
In the last two days, the Tunisian coast guard has stopped 56 boats from leaving the country on their way to Italy. According to Houssem Jebabli of the Tunisian National Guard, over 3,000 migrants have been detained while trying to flee the country.
Tunisia has become a transit point for refugees heading to Europe. According to United Nations data, at least 12,000 migrants arrived in Italy this year from Tunisia, up from 1,300 in the same timeframe last year.
Tunisian President Kais Saied accused Sub-Saharan African migrants residing in the country of fueling a crime wave and describing them as a demographic threat last month.
His remarks were extensively condemned by the African Union and labelled as “racist hate speech” by human rights organisations.
Speaking at a summit in Brussels on Friday, Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned that if Tunisia’s political and economic condition does not improve, there may be a “migratory wave” to Europe.
Tunisia is presently experiencing its worst financial crisis, following the failure of loan negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also warned that Tunisia must achieve an agreement with the IMF as soon as possible.
Tunisia has also confronted major political challenges since July 2021, when Saied seized most of the country’s powers, shut down parliament, and declared rule by decree.