Tunisian judicial authorities confirmed that the bodies of 13 Sudanese migrants were recovered off the coast of the Jebniana area of Sfax Governorate, noting that search operations are still ongoing for 27 other missing persons.
Tunisian authorities reported on Thursday that 13 Sudanese migrants were killed, while the search continues for 27 others missing off the eastern coast of Tunisia after their boat sank.
The judicial spokesman for the Monastir Court, Farid Ben Jaha, confirmed that 42 migrants set off from the coast of the Jebniana region of Sfax Governorate (east), and two migrants were rescued, and the number of missing people rose from 17 to 27 migrants.
He pointed out that these immigrants were men, and they had asylum cards.
Ben Jeha explained that an investigation had been opened to determine responsibilities, without ruling out the possibility that the migrants “were exploited in the case of human trafficking or in forming a criminal alliance to reach Europe surreptitiously.”
Bin Jaha revealed that operations are still underway to search for other migrants.
Tunisia, along with Libya, is the main starting point for thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe.
According to statistics previously reported by Guard spokesman Houssam Eddine Jebali, as of November 2023, the Tunisian National Guard intercepted 69,963 migrants, compared to 31,297 during the same period in 2022.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 2,498 people died in 2023 in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach European coasts illegally, an increase of 70% over the previous year.
Mauritania: 210 million euros from the EU to counter the departure of migrants
The European Union announced 210 million euros in funding on Thursday to help the coastal African nation of Mauritania fight smugglers and stop migrant boats from setting off on the dangerous Atlantic crossing from Africa from the West to Europe.
Mauritania told a meeting with European officials in its coastal capital of Nouakchott that it was finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the growing number of migrants and refugees crossing its borders as security in the region of the Sahel is deteriorating.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen , announced this additional funding for migration, but also for humanitarian aid and job creation, during her meeting with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and the Prime Minister Spanish Pedro Sánchez.
Von der Leyen spoke to reporters alongside Ghazouani and Sánchez in a live-streamed statement.
Although Ghazouani reaffirmed his commitment to working with Spain and the EU to prevent migrant departures, he also highlighted the cost borne by Mauritania.
He said the country already hosts 150,000 refugees from neighboring Mali and is increasingly becoming not only a transit country but also a destination for migrants.
Mauritania, one of the most stable countries in the Sahel, has been hailed as a key partner in the fight against terrorism, and Von der Leyen announced additional funding of 22 million euros for a new anti-terrorism battalion in Mauritania which will patrol the border with unstable Mali.
Spain's Canary Islands have increasingly become a stopover for migrants and refugees trying to reach mainland Europe from West Africa.
The Atlantic route to Europe is one of the deadliest in the world, Von der Leyen said. It is not uncommon for boats to disappear, with some sometimes reappearing months later on the other side of the ocean with no survivors.
In addition to announcing new funds for migration and security, the two European leaders announced a series of financing and development projects for the production of green hydrogen in Mauritania as part of an energy transition initiative of the EU.
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