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Tunisia has become the main country of departure for exiles for those who want to cross to go to Europe. In the first three months of the year, 14,000 people were intercepted on makeshift boats, 5% more than in 2022.
It has become the main gateway to Europe: Sfax and its region. The economic lung of the country sees the initial concentration of illegal immigrants for Italy. A few kilometers from the city, the teams of France 2 meet TunisiasIins ready leaving for Sicily, 150 kilometers away. These Tunisians are struck by the crisis economy and by the hardening of the regime. “I’m not afraid, our life is already finished here”explains one of them. To leave, you have to collect the sum of 2,500 euros, which is nine times the average salary in the country.
many shipwrecks
This is the price to pay to get on the boat of a fisherman who became a smuggler 15 years ago. “I’ve never had a problem or killed anyone”, he says. To guarantee passage, he claims to pay the police. “He shuts his mouth for 1,000 euros”, he continues. On the beaches of the coast, many new wrecks have appeared in recent months, metal plates welded a few hours before departures. These makeshift boats are dedicated to exiles from all over West Africa and Sudan. The passage is three times cheaper, but the boats are much more often stopped by the Tunisian coast guard, if they do not sink before.