Tunisia’s coast guard finds bodies of 13 migrants washed up on its shores

Associated Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — The bodies of 13 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been found washed up on Tunisia’s Mediterranean coast this week as authorities struggle to stem unauthorized boat crossings from North Africa to Europe. Tunisia’s coast guard says the bodies were recovered on Wednesday near Mahdia, a coastal Tunisian town close to the Italian island of Lampedusa. Tunisia, along with neighboring Libya, have long been key launching pads for Europe, and thousands of migrants reach Lampedusa in ramshackle boats every year. A local court spokesperson said the 13 bodies were all of men from sub-Saharan Africa and an investigation was underway to determine where they came from.