The death toll from the weekend sinking of migrant boats off the coast of Tunisia rose to 20 on Monday, according to a Tunisian judicial official.

A spokesperson for the courts in the city of Sfax stated that Tunisia's coastguard recovered three more bodies on Monday.

At the weekend, seventeen bodies were recovered after four boats carrying 120 African migrants to Italy capsized off the coast of Sfax.

It is the latest in a string of migrant boat disasters off the coast of Tunisia.

Sfax's coast has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East in search of a better life in Europe.

Hundreds of people have drowned in recent months, as the number of attempted crossings from Tunisia and Libya to Italy has increased.

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people have attempted the perilous Mediterranean crossing.

According to data from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 123,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2021, compared to 95,000 in 2020.

In December, 48 migrants trying to reach Europe from Libya were rescued by Tunisian coastguards.

In February, The Tunisian defense ministry had rescued 163 would-be migrants off the east coast of the country

In Lebanon, a child died and 48 people were rescued Saturday after a boat carrying around 60 migrants sank off Tripoli coast, the authorities say two dozen people remain unaccounted for. The deadly sea crossings have spiraled due to the country's economic crisis.