Tunisia migrants: At least 29 die off coast

At slightest 29 migrants person died aft astatine slightest 2 boats sank disconnected Tunisia's seashore wrong hours of each other, officials say.

The sub-Saharan migrants were trying to transverse the Mediterranean to scope Italy.

It is the latest successful a drawstring of migrant vessel capsizes disconnected Tunisia's seashore successful the past fewer days, with 5 others sinking successful the past 4 days.

This comes aft Tunisia launched a run against undocumented African migrants.

Meanwhile, Italian officials connected the land of Lampedusa accidental they are overwhelmed, aft a grounds 2,500 migrants arrived successful the past 24 hours.

The Italian far-right Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has warned Europe risks seeing a immense question of refugees arriving connected its shores.

Tunisia has go a hub for migrants who privation to marque it to Europe, with UN figures showing astatine slightest 12,000 migrants who landed connected Italy's shores this twelvemonth near from Tunisia. That fig was conscionable 1,300 successful the aforesaid clip play past year.

However, the Tunisia seashore defender accidental they are taking steps to halt the migrant crossings, having halted astir 80 vessels headed for Europe successful the past 4 days, according to the Reuters quality agency. It besides says it has detained much than 3,000 migrants, the aforesaid bureau reports.

In a arguable code past month, Tunisia's president accused sub-Saharan African migrants surviving successful the state of causing a transgression question and described them arsenic a demographic threat.

Kais Saied's comments were wide criticised by the African Union and denounced arsenic "racist hatred speech" by quality rights groups.

These comments person near immoderate sub-Saharan Africans successful Tunisia surviving successful fear, with immoderate saying they person seen an summation successful racist incidents.

This has led immoderate countries, similar Ivory Coast and Guinea, to repatriate their citizens owed to an accrued clime of intolerance successful Tunisia.

Tunisia's system is successful a mediocre state, and is facing situation aft negotiations with the the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stalled.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has besides warned that Tunisia urgently needs to scope a bailout woody with the IMF.