17 migrants’ bodies were discovered off the coast of Tunisia.

The bodies of 17 migrants attempting to reach Europe were discovered off Tunisia’s northeast coast on Saturday, according to the civil defense.

The bodies washed up between Friday and Saturday off Cape Bon, a peninsula on the Sicilian strait, according to spokesman Moez Triaa.

“The majority were from Sub-Saharan Africa, but there were also Syrians,” Triaa said, without going into detail about where they came from or what happened to them.

Migrants seeking to reach European shores use Tunisia and neighboring Libya as entry points.

Read also: Access Bank will pay a total dividend of N35 billion to its shareholders.

Nine migrants from various African countries drowned in late February when their boat capsized off the Tunisian coast as they attempted to reach Europe.

The bodies of four African migrants were discovered in eastern Tunisia earlier this month, with authorities claiming they died of cold or hunger after crossing the Algerian border.

According to the UNHCR, approximately 1,300 migrants drowned or went missing on the Central Mediterranean route in 2021, making it the world’s deadliest migration route.

Since 2014, more than 18,000 migrants have died or vanished while attempting to make the journey, according to the International Organization for Migration.