Tunisia recovers 11 bodies after migrant boat sinks off coast

Tunisian authorities said Sunday that the bodies of 11 irregular migrants had been recovered after their boat sank off the coast of the town of Ben Gardane in the country’s southeast.

Houssem Eddine Jebabli, a spokesperson for the National Guard Directorate-General, told the state news agency TAP that search and rescue operations were continuing after the boat carrying 15 Tunisian migrants capsized.

He said three bodies were recovered Saturday and eight others Sunday, while efforts continued to locate the remaining missing people.

“Various maritime units from marine customs, the coast guard, civil protection and the navy are participating in the search and rescue operations alongside two helicopters belonging to the National Guard and the army,” Jebabli added.

Tunisia is a major departure point for irregular migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Migration attempts, however, have dropped sharply over the past two years as Tunisian authorities have intensified their crackdown on migration and tightened maritime border controls.