TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia’s coast guard retrieved the bodies of nine people who died after their boat sank on Thursday, marking the latest disaster for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Coast guard spokesman Houssameddine Jbabli said the boat, which was carrying non-Tunisian passengers, likely embarked from Libya and that survivors were transported to a local hospital in Tunisia. The relatives have demanded information and a governmental response to the growing number of Tunisian youth who go missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean. A greater number of migrants entered Europe from Tunisia than Libya, Morocco or Turkey in 2021. Using compiled data from Europe, Tunisia and U.N. agencies, FTDES said more than 80,000 migrants had been intercepted at sea in 2023 — a figure more than twice as large as the prior year’s.

Source: Libya Today February 15, 2024 18:30 UTC