1,313 migrants died or went missing off Tunisia in 2023: Report

Underscoring the escalating migrant crisis in the North African nation, a staggering 1,313 migrants were to have died or went missing off the Tunisian coast last year, a rights group said on Tuesday.

According to Ramadan Ben Amor, an official at the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, this figure accounted for approximately 75% of the total deaths or disappearances recorded off the coasts of Italy, Libya, and Malta.

Tunisia has now supplanted Libya as the primary departure point in North Africa for individuals fleeing poverty and conflict across Africa and the Middle East, seeking refuge and opportunities for a better life in Europe.

And with improving weather since January, the influx of African migrants, including Tunisians, in boats heading for Italy has increased. About 100 migrants have died or gone missing off the Tunisian coast since mid-January.

With inputs from Reuters.