Tunisian authorities said on Thursday they had recovered the remains of the last migrants missing after a boat sank off the country’s 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, according to the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.
Earlier this week, Tunisia’s Coast Guard recovered the bodies of 11 migrants. One person was rescued alive, while authorities continued searching for those still missing.
The National Guard said search and rescue operations had now ended and that the bodies had been handed over to their families.
The central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Europe remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. Migrants from Africa and the Middle East frequently attempt the crossing in overcrowded or unseaworthy boats in search of better living conditions and opportunities in Europe.
Migrant departures from Tunisia have declined over the past two years amid a government crackdown on migration, supported by European funding and surveillance equipment.
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