15 bodies of irregular migrants recovered off Tunisia

By Adel Al-Thabti

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisian naval guard units recovered 15 bodies of irregular migrants on the coast of Mahdia, in the east of the country.

The Naval Guard in the Mahdia region stated that “15 bodies were recovered between Wednesday and Thursday on the coasts of Chebba, Salakta and Mahdia,” according to the official Tunisian Africa News Agency on Thursday.

The naval guard pointed out that "the recovered bodies were in an advanced decomposition condition, which indicates their prolonged stay in the sea."

The Tunisian authorities stated that according to the Initial examinations “the immigrants come from multiple African countries, including sub-Saharan Africa.”

Tunisian authorities said that 1,509 irregular immigration attempts towards Italy were aborted since the beginning of this year.

For years, North African countries as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco have witnessed attempts by migrants – mainly from sub-Saharan Africa – to reach Europe, hoping for a better life. While some of the migrants manage to reach their destination, others often die during the journey.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report