A boat carrying migrants toward Europe has sunk off the coast of Tunisia drowning at least 46 people, though dozens more could be missing, the North African nation's defence ministry has said. The ministry said 68 people were rescued overnight after the boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea near Kerkennah island, off Tunisia's eastern coast. In recent months, Tunisia increasingly has become a point of departure for Europe-bound migrants fleeing poverty and conflicts in Africa and the Middle East. A 2016 deal between Turkey and the European Union has dramatically reduced the numbers of migrants coming into Greece. The UN says at least 660 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 04, 2018 00:05 UTC