Refugees trying to reach Italy die after boats sink

At least 29 people from subSaharan Africa died early last Sunday while trying to reach Italy after two boats carrying them across the Mediterranean sank off the coast of Tunisia.

Last month, Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, made an incendiary, racist speech in which he claimed that irregular migration from other parts of Africa was part of an international conspiracy to change Tunisia’s demographic character.

Over four days last week, five boats sank off the southern city of Sfax, leaving 67 people missing and nine dead, amid a significant increase in vessels heading towards Italy.