Another 35 migrants die off southern Tunisia coast

At least 35 migrants died when their boat sank off Tunisia’s southern coast and 67 others were rescued by the coastguard, the defence ministry said yesterday.

Tunisian security officials said the boat was packed with about 180 migrants, including 80 from other African countries.

The rescue operation was ongoing, the ministry said.

Human traffickers increasingly use Tunisia as a launch pad for migrants heading to Europe because Libya’s coast guard, aided by armed groups, has tightened controls.

Unemployed Tunisians and other Africans leave in makeshift boats to try to reach Sicily in Italy.

Also yesterday, nine people including six children died after a speedboat carrying 15 refugees sank off the coast of Turkey’s southern province of Antalya, the Turkish coast guard said.

Reducing the flow of migrants into Italy is one of the aims of the anti-immigrant League party in Italy.

Its leader Matteo Salvini was sworn in as the country’s interior minister on Friday. He is also joint deputy prime minister with Luigi Di Maio, leader of the Five-Star Movement.

Mr Salvini has promised to block the arrival of boat migrants from Africa and to deport up to 100,000 illegal immigrants per year.

“The objective is to save lives. And this is done by preventing the departures of the boats of death that are a business for some and a disgrace for the rest of the world,” Mr Salvini said, commenting on the two incidents.

“I will work to ensure that all the international organisations commit to stop departures, landings and deaths.”

As of May 30, 32,080 people had reached Europe by sea this year, the International Organisation for Migration said. Up to 660 died attempting the crossing.