Tunisia: Twelve arrests following migrants’ tragedy at sea

Twelve individuals, including the organizer of a failed emigration attempt and his Tunisian wife, were arrested following the tragic drowning of at least fifteen migrants near Djerba, Tunisia, the National Guard reported on Wednesday, October 2.

Last Monday, the coastguard rescued 31 people from a boat that sank 500 meters off the coast and recovered 15 bodies, including three infants. The search continues, as local media reported that around 60 people had been aboard. Authorities also seized three vehicles used to transport migrants and “large sums of money,” in addition to arresting the 12 organizers and intermediaries involved.

On the same day, the coastguard rescued 22 more Tunisian migrants, including seven women and seven children, who had departed from the Kerkennah archipelago. On Tuesday, another 36 migrants, including 20 Tunisians and 16 Egyptians, were rescued from a drifting boat that had broken down after leaving Bizerte.

Tunisia, along with Libya, remains a primary departure point in North Africa for migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Europe, with parts of its coastline located close to Sicily, Italy.