Tunisia coastguard recovers 15 bodies of migrants in latest migrant drowning tragedy

Tunisian authorities on Monday announced the recovery of 15 bodies of migrants who drowned off the coasts of Melloulech, Salakta, and Chebba in the Mediterranean, a frequent route for migrants seeking to reach Europe.

National Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli reported that the bodies were found over the weekend and on Monday. While the migrants’ nationalities remain unidentified due to decomposition. Many victims in past incidents have been from Sub-Saharan Africa.

This tragedy is one of many migrant drownings as Tunisia faces growing European pressure to monitor its shores. Last month, 13 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and 15 Tunisians, including infants, drowned in separate incidents off Tunisian coasts while attempting to reach Europe.

During the first half of this year, Tunisia reported the recovery of 462 migrant bodies and prevented hundreds of irregular migration attempts. In support of these efforts, the EU has provided Tunisia with 127 million euros as part of a broader migration agreement.