Tunisia’s coastguard has recovered the bodies of 16 migrants off the coasts of Maloulech, Salakta, and Chebba, marking the latest tragedy among migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, the national guard reported on Monday.
The remains, discovered over the weekend and on Monday, were severely decomposed and remain unidentified, according to Houssem Eddine Jebabli, a senior official with the national guard. This incident follows last month’s tragedy in which at least 15 Tunisians, including three infants, drowned, and 10 others went missing after their boat capsized near Djerba. Additionally, the bodies of 13 sub-Saharan African migrants were also recovered in the same area in recent weeks.
Tunisia has now overtaken Libya as the primary departure point for migrants from Tunisia and other African nations aiming to reach Europe, as the country grapples with an unprecedented migration crisis.