At least 27 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been found dead on the country's western desert near the border after reportedly being expelled from the latter nation, according to Libyan authorities.
Mohamed Hamouda, a spokesperson for the Libyan government, confirmed the discovery of the bodies to AP on Wednesday after Libya's Interior Ministry said in a statement that the bodies were found near the border and a forensic team was deployed to the area.
This comes after Tunisian security forces began removing migrants from coastal areas for the past few months, dumping some of them in the desert. The Tunisian Interior Minister also confirmed that some migrants trying to enter the country have been pushed back to the desert border areas with Libya and Algeria.
The eastern coast of Tunisia has garnered a reputation, after Libya, for being a key transit point for migrants trying to get to Italy and other European countries. The rising influx of migrants has created tensions between the migrants and the local populace.
Tunisia has been accused of forcefully expelling migrants and leaving them in the desert without food and water by the National Human Rights Committee in Libya. At least 750 African immigrants have been forcefully expelled and 35 such migrants were found dead from the Tunisia-Libyan border since the migrant expulsions began in July, said Ahmed Hamza, head of the committee.
The social situation for Black Africans has taken a turn for the worse in Tunisia after President Kais Saied in February called for urgent measures against irregular immigrants, who are possibly involved in a 'plot' to erase the country's identity.
Meanwhile, at least 41 migrants have been killed in a shipwreck off Italy's Lampedusa island. The boat was on its way from Tunisia's Sfax and sank on its way to Italy.
Migrant boat tragedies are common in the region. For years, migrants have taken to smugglers’ unseaworthy vessels to make the risky crossing of the Mediterranean to try to reach southern European shores in hopes of being granted asylum or finding family or jobs, especially in northern European countries.
According to reports, more than 1,800 people have lost their lives so far this year in the crossing from North Africa to Europe.
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