At least 264 Bangladeshis were rescued in the Mediterranean off the Tunisian coast on Thursday when they were trying to sail across the sea to Europe. They were found adrift in the sea which is widely used by traffickers as a route for illegal migration from North African countries to rich European countries, including Italy, Greece, and Spain. It was unclear which European country the migrants had intended to enter. With the latest incident, at least 485 Bangladeshi migrants heading for Europe were rescued off the Tunisian coast in the last 90 days. Earlier some 221 Bangladeshis were rescued in the Mediterranean in the last three or four incidents between May 18 and June 24.
The Bangladesh embassy in Tripoli said they were in constant contact with International Organisation for Migration (IOM), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and other local authorities in Tunisia regarding the wellbeing of the Bangladeshis. The IOM team in Tunisia provided food and medical assistance to the migrants at the port, provided transport to a centre identified by the authorities for the confinement period of five days. After being rescued, the Bangladeshi migrants were put under quarantine in Tunisia.
The deteriorating conditions of migrant workers in Libya and Tunisia are pushing many to make the dangerous voyage from the North African coast to Europe. According to the UN, at least 760 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean between January 1 and May 31 this year, compared to 1,400 last year. Migrants who set out on sea trips off the Libyan or Tunisian coast mainly try to reach Italy. Boats carrying migrants heading for Italy often set off from Libya but cross the Mediterranean near the Tunisian coast.
As labour migration from Bangladesh largely remains stalled since the pandemic hit the country in March last year, many people are desperate to try their luck putting their lives at risk. The government must disband human traffickers’ networks and create enough employment opportunities at home to stop such unsafe migration. Besides, an awareness campaign is a dire necessity to make aspirants conscious about the steps needed to take for safe migration and its challenges.
