A Tunisian human rights group rescued 28 migrants and asylum seekers who were abandoned without food or water near the country’s border with Algeria.
The FTDES rights group reported that its teams found the individuals in “catastrophic humanitarian condition” in the desert border region. Seven women, including three who were pregnant, and two children were among those assisted.
According to the group, 42 migrants and asylum seekers were reported to have been displaced and abandoned in the area.
FTDES spokesman Romdhane Ben Amor said that the remaining individuals were likely “hiding because they are afraid” of the police.
The migrants and asylum seekers had previously been expelled from Sfax, a coastal city known as a major departure point for irregular migration to Europe. They were then taken to the governorate of Gafsa, which borders Algeria.
Tunisia has been a key transit country for migrants seeking better opportunities in Europe.
Ben Amor said that the 28 rescued individuals were found with the help of local authorities and the National Guard. They were later transferred to a police station and are expected to be moved to a shelter run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
At least 25 of the rescued migrants were from Sierra Leone, while others were citizens of Liberia and Nigeria.