16 migrants dead and 44 missing in multiple shipwrecks off the coast of Tunisia

16 migrants lost their lives in separate shipwrecks off the coasts of Tunisia and Western Sahara and 44 others remain missing.

The North African region has become a major gateway for irregular migrants and asylum seekers seeking a better life in Europe, leading to perilous sea crossings on often unsafe boats.

In Tunisia, at least 11 migrants died in a shipwreck near Sfax, the country's second city. Initially, four deaths were reported, but the figure was revised later. The boat, carrying 57 people from sub-Saharan African countries, sank near the Kerkennah Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Two survivors were rescued, but the search continues for more survivors, reported AFP.

In Western Sahara, five bodies of migrants from Senegal were recovered after their boat capsised, and 189 others were rescued. The boat was headed towards Spain's Canary Islands before being discovered off the coast of Guerguart, just north of Mauritania. The rescued migrants, including one woman, were transferred to a hospital in Dakhla, Western Sahara's second city.

Migrant deaths have been on the rise in recent years, with thousands fleeing war and poverty, attempting to cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life in Europe. The central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe has been the deadliest, with over 20,000 fatalities since 2014, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

Survivor testimonies indicate that at least 30 migrants are missing from two unrelated sinkings near Italy's Lampedusa, where boats had departed from Sfax. Tunisia's interior ministry reported that by July 20 of this year, 901 bodies had been recovered following maritime accidents in the Mediterranean, while 34,290 migrants had been rescued or intercepted. Most of the migrants came from sub-Saharan African countries.

Italy has witnessed the arrival of nearly 90,000 migrants this year, many of whom embarked from Tunisia or neighboring Libya. In March and April, crossing attempts increased following a controversial speech by Tunisian President Kais Saied, who referred to "hordes" of sub-Saharan migrants as a reason for crime and posing a demographic threat.

Xenophobic attacks against black African migrants and students have escalated in Tunisia since the president's remarks. Many migrants have lost jobs and housing, and in recent days, hundreds have been expelled from Sfax after a Tunisian man's death in an altercation with migrants. Humanitarian sources have reported that over 2,000 migrants were taken to inhospitable areas near the Libyan and Algerian borders by Tunisian police since early July, resulting in at least 25 deaths in the Tunisian-Libyan border area.

The situation remains concerning as migrants continue to risk their lives in dangerous sea crossings, seeking a chance for a better future.