At least seven people died en route from North Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to the EU. The Italian Coast Guard announced this today, as reported by the ANSA news agency. Two small boats near Malta were in distress. The Coast Guard managed to rescue ten prisoners. For seven people, help came too late.
According to the authorities, other castaways were rescued by a Tunisian fishing boat, which was escorted to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Many people attempt the life-threatening crossing to Europe from Tunisia on boats that are often unseaworthy. It is considered a transit country, for example, for people from countries south of the Sahara. But people from Tunisia themselves are also trying to cross into Italy.
More than 2,000 people disembarked on Lampedusa
Despite recent boat accidents, many people continue to dare to make the crossing. In just 24 hours, more than 2,000 people arrived on the island of Lampedusa alone, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. People, including children, arrived on the small island in several boats.
Lampedusa is located between Sicily and North Africa, just under 190 kilometers from the coastal town of Sfax, Tunisia. Many people continue to try to reach Lampedusa, Malta, Sicily or the Italian mainland by boat from Tunisia and Libya across the central Mediterranean.
According to official data, Italy has already registered more than 21,000 people since the beginning of January – in the two previous years there were around 6,000 at this time.