Tunisian officials and local media reported that over 34 African migrants had died after their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia during an illegal trip to Italy.
The Italian Coast Guard conducted two separate rescue operations on Thursday, saving approximately 750 migrants from the southern coast of Italy. This came shortly after at least five individuals were killed and 33 others went missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Tunisia.
According to Tunisian Judge Fawzi Al-Masmoudi, seven individuals, including infants and children, lost their lives after the boat sank near Sfax. Meanwhile, Hossam Jababli, an official in the National Guard, confirmed that the Coast Guard had intercepted 56 boats bound for Italy over two days and had detained over 3,000 migrants, most of whom were from sub-Saharan African countries.
Data from the United Nations showed that over 12,000 migrants arrived in Italy from Tunisia this year, a significant increase from the 1,300 who arrived during the same period last year.