At least six Africans have died trying to migrate to Europe after their boat sank off Tunisia on Thursday, and an estimated 30 Africans went missing in the Mediterranean, 34 people were rescued by the Tunisian coast guard.
Search and rescue operations began after a boat sank off Zarzis, near the Libyan border, according to Tunisia’s official news agency, citing a statement by the defense ministry spokesperson.
The ministry said the rescue operations were carried out by naval forces and the irregular migrants were nationals of different African countries.
The Tunisian authorities intervene almost daily to stop attempts at illegal migration and arrest hundreds of irregular migrants.
Maghreb countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco have for years been the scene of migration attempts, mainly of people from sub-Saharan Africa, aimed at reaching Europe in the hope of a better life.
While some migrants manage to reach their destination, others often die during the crossing.
