Record 1313 migrants die en route from Tunisian coasts to Italy

At least 1313 died in the risky Mediterranean crossing from Tunisian coasts to Italy last year, Tunisia’s Forum for Economic and Social Rights said.

The number highlights that the country has overtaken Libya as the main crossing point to Europe, as the number of disenchanted Tunisians ready to take the risky route is on the rise due to worsening economic and political conditions.

The country, that was once an Arab spring success story, reels under high unemployment, inflation, and authoritarian policies, following President Kais Saied power grab.

A new report from the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) found that “17,322 irregular migrants” with Tunisian nationality reached Italy’s coasts in 2023, “including over 4,000 minors.”

In 2023, Tunisian authorities foiled over 6,000 “irregular migration attempts” and arrested 80,000 irregular migrants on Tunisian coasts, 18% of whom were Tunisian citizens, an FTDES official told the media.