Tunisia finds more bodies of irregular immigrants, bringing total to 210 in 10 days

By Yousra Ounas

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) – Tunisian authorities have recovered the bodies of 210 irregular migrants who drowned off the country's coast last week, said to a statement issued by the country's gendarmerie force on Friday.

Tunisian National Guard spokesman Hosam Eddin Al-Jababli said in a statement that "210 bodies of irregular migrants were recovered by the naval guard units.”

“The recovered bodies belonged to migrants from Sub-Sahara African countries,” Al-Jababli said.

The search operations took place in the coastal cities of Sfax, Kerkennah, and Mahdia from April 18 to 27, according to the spokesman.

Tunisia has less than 150 kilometers (90 miles) of coastline, with Lampedusa, an Italian island that is the ideal first destination for irregular migrants attempting the perilous sea journey from North Africa to Europe.

For years, North African countries such 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.

According to Tunisian authorities, over 20,000 irregular migrants had been arrested in 2021.

* Writing Ikram Kouachi