Death of At Least 17 Migrants After Boat Capsizes Off Tunisia

The Tunisian Red Crescent told Reuters on Wednesday that at least 17 Bangladeshi migrants drowned after their boat capsized off Tunisia while attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy, while the coast guard rescued over 380 others. The boat had sailed from Zuwara on the northwest coast of Libya, carrying migrants from Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Mali, and Bangladesh. Monji Slim, an official with the Red Crescent, stated that the navy rescued 380 migrants and that 17 Bangladeshis drowned from the boat headed from Zuwara to Europe. Several sinking incidents have occurred in recent months off the coast of Tunisia, where the frequency of attempts to cross into Europe from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy has increased with improved weather conditions. Hundreds of thousands have embarked on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in recent years, many fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. The number of migrants arriving in Italy has decreased in recent years but increased again in 2021. Italy is one of the main destinations for migrants to Europe.