National Mirror reports that the incident aboard a boat, which was carrying about 100 migrants, took place in the Straits of Sicily, between Tunisia and Italy.
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According to a group of Nigerian and Ghanaian survivors, a fight broke out over religion, with a group of Muslim passengers threatening the Nigerians and Ghanaians after the latter – who were in the minority – declared themselves to be Christians.
“The threats then materialised and 12 people, all Nigerian and Ghanaian, are believed to have drowned in the Mediterranean,” the statement added.
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Migration from North Africa to Europe by boat is a growing problem, with many thousands attempting the dangerous journey every year, resulting in hundreds of deaths.