A judicial official and a witness reported the discovery of the remains of at least two migrants in a desert area close to Tunisia’s border with Algeria on Tuesday.
In the aftermath of the tragic killing of a Tunisian man during a confrontation between locals and migrants on July 3, racial tensions escalated, leading to the expulsion of hundreds migrants from sub-Saharan countries in Tunisia’s port city of Sfax.
Ones who have fled have been left to fend for themselves in remote desert areas near Tunisia’s borders with Algeria and Libya.
Nizar Skander, a spokesman for the southeastern Tozeur district court, told media that around 10 days ago one body was found in the Hazoua desert and another was discovered on Monday night.
Authorities have started a “dubious death” investigation to determine the exact cause of the two deaths, Skander added.
According to Human Rights Watch, many migrants near the border with Algeria “risk their lives” if they are not provided with immediate assistance.
HRW says there could be up to 150 to 200 migrants in that region.
The watchdog carried a report quoting witnesses several days ago as saying “several” migrants had died near the Algerian border.