Hommam Al Nassim 
On Sunday, Senegalese media revealed the arrest and deportation of Senegalese migrants in Tunisia to Libya and Algeria, after a number of them survived drowning in an accident in which their boat capsized.
The incident occurred on the night of May 15 to 16, when a boat carrying 41 Senegalese capsized off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, killing seven of them, according to an official memorandum reported by the Senegalese media.
The Tunisian Navy arrested the survivors of the incident, then deported them to the borders with Algeria and Libya. At the same time, 11 migrants were able to reach the Niger Desert in the hope of being returned to Senegal.
Thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan African countries flock to coastal Tunisia’s Sfax, with the aim of crossing the Mediterranean Sea towards the European coast.
Last year, Tunisian authorities deported illegal immigrants from the city of Sfax after clashes broke out with local residents.
Last week, the “Lighthouse Reports” press alliance published a report revealing the miserable conditions experienced by African migrants in transit countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritania.
The report confirmed that the authorities of these countries deport migrants to the desert and abandon them there, with the help of funds they receive from the European Union.
European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer commented on the report, saying: “This is a difficult situation. It is a situation that is changing rapidly, and we will continue to work on it.”
The investigative report published by “Lighthouse” in cooperation with several media outlets, including the French newspaper “Le Monde” and the American “Washington Post,” indicated that “Europe supports, finances, and participates directly in secret operations to transfer tens of thousands of Africans and leave them in the desert or remote areas.” “Every year to prevent them from coming to the European Union.”
The Chadian Defense Minister visits Niger and holds meetings with the senior officials