Africa News
Death Toll Of Immigrants Killed In Tunisia Rise To 112
The United Nations logo ( UN) Photo File
UN Reports More Deaths From Immigrants Who Were Killed At The South East Coast Of Tunisia.
The number of illegal immigrant’s deaths from the killing at the southeastern coast of Tunisia on Sunday has risen to 112, the United Nation’s migration agency reports.
The International Organisation for Migration updated the death toll on its Twitter account today.
The boat was packed with about 180 migrants, including 80 from other African countries, local media had reported earlier.
A total of 68 illegal immigrants 60 Tunisians and eight foreigners were rescued by the coastguard.
The spokesman of the Interior Ministry, Khalifa Chibani, On Monday said that Tunisian security forces intercepted eight individuals involved in planning the case off the island of Kerkennah on Saturday evening.
Alongside Libya, Tunisia has become an important new route for migrants trying to reach Europe in the past year, and Kerkennah is known as one of the main illegal gateways.
IOM reports that , since the beginning of this year, about 1,910 Tunisian migrants have reached Italy by sea.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights said in a study that 9,329 Tunisians attempted to cross the Mediterranean in 2017, with 34 per cent intercepted by Tunisian maritime forces.
According to the Interior Ministry , not fewer than 900 illegal immigrants have been intercepted while trying to cross Tunisian maritime borders since the beginning of this year’s Ramadan, which began on May 17, according to the Interior Ministry.
