The bodies of nine migrants from sub-Saharan African countries have been found in western Tunisia, near the border with Algeria, in recent days, a judicial official told AFP on Wednesday. Since the start of the year, dozens of migrants have drowned in a series of shipwrecks off Tunisia’s shores while trying to reach Europe. The group denounced “the silence of the Tunisian authorities on the tragedies of migration and the policy of militarisation of the borders”. “Migrants travel great distances in hostile environments” to flee conflict, harsh economic conditions and the effects of climate change, said FTDES. It noted “a rise of 1,100 percent compared to last year” in sea journeys from Tunisia alone.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 17, 2023 20:38 UTC