TUNIS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian Maritime Guard on Tuesday found five bodies of undocumented migrants on the southeastern coast, Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM reported.
It quoted a security source as saying that the bodies were washed ashore in Gabes. The source noted that the victims were probably sub-Saharan migrants who drowned in Libyan waters and were subsequently carried by sea currents to the shores of Gabes.
The instability and turmoil prevailing in Libya since the downfall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 have prompted many migrants, mostly Africans, to opt for perilous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea toward European shores from Libya.
Tunisia is also one of the main departure points for migrants seeking irregular entry into Europe. In 2023, some 17,322 illegal migrants reached Italian shores via Tunisia. ■