Thirteen bodies of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were discovered washed up on the shores of Tunisia’s Mediterranean coast this week, as authorities continue to grapple with the challenge of preventing unauthorized boat crossings from North Africa to Europe. The Tunisia Coast Guard confirmed that the bodies were found on Wednesday near Mahdia, a coastal town approximately 142 kilometers (88 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa, a significant entry point for migrants. Sub-Saharan Africa migrants often attempt the perilous journey to Europe in overcrowded and unsafe boats facilitated by smugglers.

A local court spokesperson, Ferid Ben Jha, indicated that all the recovered bodies were of men from sub-Saharan Africa, and an investigation is ongoing to ascertain their origins. The Mediterranean Sea route remains a popular and treacherous path for tens of thousands of individuals, including those escaping poverty, conflict, environmental crises, or persecution, to seek refuge in countries like Spain, Italy, Malta, and Greece. Tragically, earlier in September, five bodies, including those of a woman and a child, were also found near Monastir, Tunisia.

The Tunisian authorities have intensified efforts to patrol their territorial waters with the support of European assistance, resulting in a decrease in both migrant crossings and fatalities. From January to May, the National Guard reported the recovery of 462 migrant bodies and the interception of over 30,000 migrants off Tunisia’s coast, marking a decline compared to the same period last year. While approximately 10,000 migrants arrived in Italy by boat from Tunisia in the first half of this year – a decrease from the corresponding period in 2023, where the numbers were higher.

According to FRONTEX, the EU’s border and coast guard agency, the reduced Central Mediterranean migration can be attributed to enhanced preventive measures by Tunisian, Libyan, and Turkish authorities. Despite the decline in unauthorized migration along traditional routes to EU countries, there has been a noticeable surge in migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands, an archipelago belonging to Spain situated near Africa’s Atlantic coast, serving as an alternative pathway to continental Europe.

Tragically, the United Nations refugee agency estimates that at least 1,000 individuals perish or go missing each year while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. An NGO, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, reported over 1,300 deaths or disappearances off Tunisia’s coast in 2023. Consequently, as the number of migrants reaching Europe dwindles, more migrants are stranded along the Tunisian coastline, residing in camps on the outskirts of cities and towns. This situation has exacerbated tensions between sub-Saharan African migrants, Tunisian locals, and security forces in the region.