Published: 2021-07-03 15:35
Last Updated: 2024-04-27 21:00
At least 43 migrants drowned in a shipwreck off Tunisia and 84 others were rescued as they tried to make their way to Italy from Libya, according to the Tunisian Red Crescent Saturday.
The Red Crescent told Reuters that the boat was carrying migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh. Notably, several drowning incidents occurred off the coast of Tunisia over the past few months.
There has also been a rise in the number of attempted crossings from Tunisia and Libya into Italy, in light of the better weather conditions.
Red Crescent official Mongi Slim said “The navy rescued 84 migrants and 43 others drowned in a boat that set off from Libya’s Zuwara towards Europe.”
Italy is one of the main migrant routes into Europe and, according to Italian interior Ministry, approximately 19,800 migrants have arrived since the beginning of 2021.
Notably, a little over 6,700 arrived in Italy within the same time frame in 2020.