The coast near the Tunisian city of Sfax has become a major departure point for refugees seeking a better life in Europe. More than 20,000 migrants were arrested off the coast last year, according to the Ministry of Interior in Tunisia. At least 15,000 reached the coast of Italy in 2021.
In recent months, dozens of people have drowned trying to get to Italy from Tunisia and Libya. Hundreds of thousands of people have made the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean in recent years. Figures from UN refugee agency UNHCR show that more than 123,000 migrants came to Italy in 2021, compared to more than 95,000 in 2020.