Four migrants die, dozens feared missing after a boat sinks off Tunisia

Tunis: Twenty-three African people are feared missing while four died on their way to Italy after their migrant boats sank off Tunisia. A judicial official said that the two migrant boats were trying to cross the Mediterranean to enter Italy.

Fifty-three other migrants were saved by the coast guard off the Tunisian city of Sfax, two of whom remain in critical condition. Sfax court Judge Faouzi Masmoudi added that four bodies have also been recovered.

The Tunisian coast has become a frequent accident spot with dozens of migrants going missing and dying in repeating cases of drowning accidents.

Tunisia has taken over from Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe. Crackdowns on human trafficking in Libya have made Tunisia a more accessible option.

More than 14,000 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa have been rescued or intercepted n the first three months of the year while trying to cross into Europe, five times more than the figures of last year, the National Guard said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that Europe risks seeing a huge wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded.

Meloni called on the IMF and other countries to help Tunisia quickly to avoid its collapse.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said last week the country needed funding and equipment to better protect its borders. Tunisia had received equipment from Italy in the past years, but Ammar said it was outdated and not sufficient.

With inputs from agencies

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