Saturday, media outlets said that the Mediterranean washed up 17 bodies off the coast of northeastern Tunisia of migrants who were trying to reach Europe illegally, according to Tunisian Civil Protection spokesman Moez Trea’a.

The spokesperson added that the bodies "were found off the coast, and the majority of the drowned were from sub-Saharan Africa, but among them were Syrians as well."

Taraa explained that the sea washed off all the bodies to the shore between Friday and Saturday, without being able to give other details about the point of departure of the migrants or the reason for their drowning, AFP reported.

Tunisia and Libya are major departure points for migrants who dream of a better life in Europe, often fleeing conflict or poverty.

A total of 15,671 migrants, including 584 women, were able to reach Italian territory from the Tunisian coast in 2021, compared to 12,883 migrants, including 353 women, in 2020, according to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, which specializes in migration issues.

More than 123,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2021, compared to about 95,000 the previous year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported.

Nearly 2,000 migrants were missing or drowned in the Mediterranean last year, in comparison to 1,401 in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The organization stressed that the central of the Mediterranean is the most dangerous migration route in the world, and the United Nations agency estimates that more than 18,000 migrants have died or gone missing on this route since 2014.