In less than two weeks the Tunisian coast guard recovers the bodies of 210 migrants
Tunisian coast guard recovers the bodies of 210 migrants. They washed up on the coast over a two week period. They were likely from sub-Saharan Africa.
- Tunisian coast guard recovers the bodies of 210 migrants.
- They washed up on the coast over a two week period.
- Authorities believe the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa.
UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS IN TUNISIA: The Tunisian Coast Guard reported that in a joint effort they recovered around 210 bodies of migrants they say washed up over a two-week period. This is a consequence of the flow of migrants that has been on the rise in recent months and most of them come from Africa.
At the moment, the authorities are still working to regulate illegal migration in the region. In recent weeks, accidents have been reported involving boats carrying migrants who, unfortunately, end up being abandoned to their fate or die on their way to the nearest countries.
HUNDREDS OF BODIES ARE RECOVERED
Tunisia’s coast guard reported that it recovered some 210 bodies of migrants in less than two weeks that washed up on its main coastline due to a continued increase in regional migration, The Associated Press reported. At the moment, authorities continue to work on resolving migration problems in the region.
In recent months, the government implemented measures to prevent the accelerated flow of migrants. They set up a free hotline to report human trafficking and irregular migration. At the moment, the General Directorate of the National Guard is in charge of this service, according to infobae.
Who are the migrants?
Authorities are still investigating the 210 bodies that were found near the Tunisian coast. Preliminary examinations of the corpses indicated that the migrants were from sub-Saharan Africa, according to Houssemeddine Jebabli of the National Guard.
Authorities continue to implement security in areas that they consider easily accessible for migrants and have put in place greater measures to prevent an increase in the number of people entering the country illegally. The growing number of migrant deaths has overwhelmed the morgue at the Habib Bourguiba hospital in Sfax, which has a capacity of 30 to 40 bodies, the AP reported.
Where were the bodies found?
Of the 210 migrants found dead over the 10 days starting April 18, some 70 of them were found on the beaches of Sfax, the neighboring islands of Kerkennah and Mahdia, according to prosecutor Faouzi Masmoudi, who oversees migration issues, the AP reported.
These three areas are starting points for most attempts to migrate to the Italian coast. Due to the migration problem, Tunisia was even considered the backyard of Europe, because it is the site of easy access for these vulnerable groups seeking to escape their countries.
Are the bodies being identified?
To ease pressure on local hospitals, authorities are speeding up the burial of the victims after conducting DNA tests and a possible identification by relatives, Masmoudi said.
Romdhane Ben Amor, spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), a non-governmental organization specializing in migration issues, said that local authorities committed last year to set up a special cemetery for migrants on the basis that they are not Muslims,» reported The Associated Press.