34 Refugees Missing After Boat Sinks In Tunisia

There has been a  tragic incident where at least 34 refugees are missing after their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia.

The refugees had set off from Sfax and were trying to reach Italy.

This is just one of many tragedies this month, as the number of boats heading towards Italy has sharply increased.

The Italian coastguard has rescued about 750 refugees in two operations off southern Italy, but at least five people have died and 33 went missing in an attempted sea crossing from Tunisia.

Tunisia’s population of 12 million is home to an estimated 21,000 refugees from other parts of Africa, representing 0.2 percent of the population.

The country is struggling with a financial crisis, and fears of a debt default are increasing, raising concerns in Europe, especially in neighboring Italy.

The Italian Prime Minister has called on the IMF to help Tunisia avoid economic collapse, warning that Europe risks seeing a huge wave of refugees from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded.

The Italian government has also approved new measures to fine charities who rescue asylum seekers at sea and impound their ships if they break new rules