<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/26/refugees-trying-to-reach-italy-die-after-boat-sinks-off-coast-of-tunisia>
"At least 29 people from sub-Saharan Africa have died while trying to reach
Italy after two boats carrying them across the Mediterranean sank off the coast
of Tunisia.
The deaths, which occurred early on Sunday, are the latest tragedies involving
people departing from the north African country, where the authorities have
launched a crackdown on undocumented people from sub-Saharan Africa.
Last month, Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, made an incendiary, racist speech
in which he claimed that irregular migration from other parts of Africa was
part of an international conspiracy to change Tunisia’s demographic character.
Over the past four days, five boats have sunk off the southern city of Sfax,
leaving 67 people missing and nine dead, amid a significant increase in vessels
heading towards Italy.
The Tunisian coastguard rescued 11 people further north off the coast of Mahdia
on Sunday. The coastguard said it had stopped about 80 boats heading for Italy
in the past four days and detained more than 3,000 people, mostly from
sub-Saharan African countries.
The coast near Sfax has become a key departure point for people fleeing poverty
and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in
Europe. According to UN data, at least 12,000 people who reached Italy this
year set sail from Tunisia, compared with 1,300 in the same period of 2022.
Previously, Libya was the main departure point.
According to the Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES), a Tunisian NGO,
the coastguard prevented more than 14,000 people from setting off in boats
during the first three months of this year, compared with 2,900 during the same
period last year.
The Italian coastguard said on Thursday it had rescued about 750 people in two
operations off the southern Italian coast."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
