Tunisia Recovers Bodies of 13 African Migrants off Sfax

The Tunisian coast guard announced on Thursday that its members have recovered the bodies of 13 African migrants and rescued 25 others after their boat sank off the coast of Sfax while they were attempting to reach the Italian shore. The coast guard reported that the tragedy occurred off the coast of Sfax, without specifying how far the boat was from the shore when it sank. Tunisia is facing an unprecedented migration crisis, having replaced Libya as a major departure point in the region for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in search of a better life in Europe. Data collected by Reuters indicates that the number of dead and missing off the coast of Tunisia has risen to about 630 in the first half of 2023, which is significantly higher than any previous year. Tunisia is under pressure from European countries to prevent large numbers of migrants from departing from its shores, but President Kais Saied stated that his country would not act as Europe's border guard.