Dozens of Migrants Drown, Go Missing Off Coasts of Tunisia, Djibouti

Authorities in Tunisia have recovered twenty-two bodies of undocumented migrants off the coast of Sfax in central-east Tunisia, a judicial spokesperson said on Tuesday (April 23, 2024). 

The nationalities of the deceased are presumed to be from Sub-Saharan Africa. Hisham Ben Ayad, the spokesperson for the Sfax court, told AFP, "22 bodies were discovered in stages at the port of Sidi Youssef since Saturday. 

The bodies appear to be of Africans and have been placed in the morgue." He added that "there is no further information on the matter" and it is "not yet known" whether the appearance of the bodies was the result of a single or multiple shipwreck incidents.

Sfax's coasts are a major departure point for migrants from Sub-Saharan countries and Tunisians trying to reach Italian shores. The Coast Guard announced on Tuesday the arrest of "five individuals sought for organizing and mediating" in Sfax. With improving weather conditions, attempts at illegal migration by sea are increasing, typically ending in tragic drownings.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 2,498 people died in 2023 in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to reach European shores illegally, marking a 75% increase from 2022.

The migration issue remains a major concern for the majority of Maghreb countries. On Monday, leaders of Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya concluded a consultative meeting in Tunis, agreeing to work together to combat the risks of illegal migration and to unify their stance on the issue.

**At Least 16 Dead and 28 Missing Off the Coast of Djibouti**

In another tragic incident, at least 16 people died and 28 are missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the IOM announced on Tuesday. The organization stated on the social media platform X, "A tragedy occurred with the capsizing of a boat off the Djibouti coast carrying 77 migrants, including children. There are at least 28 missing and 16 dead." The local branch of IOM is assisting the local authorities with search and rescue efforts.

The Ethiopian ambassador to Djibouti, Berhan Tsegaye, reported on X that the boat was carrying Ethiopian migrants trying to reach Yemen and that the incident occurred on Monday night off Godoria in northeast Djibouti. He confirmed that 33 survivors were rescued, including one woman.

This latest incident is part of a series of deadly accidents known as the "Eastern Migration Route." Another boat had sunk on April 8, 2024, off the coast of Godoria, carrying more than 60 people, as per the IOM and the Ethiopian embassy in Djibouti. At the time, the bodies of 38 migrants, including children, were recovered, and six were reported missing. The embassy stated that the boat was transporting Ethiopian migrants from Djibouti to Yemen.

Every year, tens of thousands of African migrants undertake the perilous journey via the "Eastern Route" across the Red Sea and Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia, fleeing conflicts, natural disasters, or in pursuit of better economic opportunities.