Instead, they are brought aboard a coastguard cutter and would be later returned to Tunisia. Officials say the small sheet metal boats that the migrants are using, are built to order in small workshops in and around Sfax. After the migrants are stopped, they are brought aboard the coastguard ships, their boats to be collected later by the authorities. The coastguard says it has stopped 13,000 people attempting to depart by sea illegally in the first quarter of the 2023. Most migrants are released as soon as they are brought back to shore, with many hoping to attempt the trip again as soon as possible.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 24, 2023 10:41 UTC