TUNIS, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Tunisian authorities said on Thursday they had recovered the remains of the last migrants missing from a boat that sank off the coast last week, bringing the death toll to 14.
The boat was carrying mostly young people, including seven members of the same family, as well as a man and his pregnant wife, the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights said over the weekend.
The central Mediterranean route from the North African coast is one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, used by migrants from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe, often in overcrowded or unseaworthy boats.
Earlier this week, the Coast Guard said it had found the bodies of 11 Tunisian migrants. One person was rescued alive.
The National Guard said on Thursday it had now ended search and rescue operations and handed the bodies over to their families.
Migrant departures from Tunisia have declined over the past two years amid a crackdown on migrants, backed by European support that has included funding and modern surveillance equipment.
(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
