Tunisia migrant boat capsizes: 2 dead and 12 missing
At least two people have died and 12 remain missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the southern coast of Tunisia. This according to the country’s National Guard, who said one person was rescued.
National Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli said authorities recovered two bodies and took them to a hospital on the nearby island of Djerba. He told state news agency TAP that the boat was believed to have been carrying about 15 people when it departed from the area between Zarzis and Ben Guerdane.
The boat left early Thursday, according to national radio Mosaique FM. A commercial vessel found the only known survivor on Saturday. The survivor was wearing a life jacket, the radio reported, citing their account.
Following the rescue, helicopters and coast guard vessels were sent to the area to search for additional survivors. The migrants were believed to have been attempting to reach Italy.
Zarzis, in southern Tunisia, is a long-standing departure point for people from Tunisia and other parts of Africa seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
The area has experienced similar incidents in the past. In 2022, a boat carrying 18 people disappeared after leaving the region. The incident led to weeks of protests by relatives, who accused authorities of failing to conduct adequate searches and of burying some recovered bodies without identifying them or notifying their families.
Migrant departures from Tunisia have declined significantly since the European Union and Tunisia reached an agreement in 2023 aimed at addressing irregular migration. The deal included EU financial and technical assistance for Tunisian border controls and coast guard training, as well as measures targeting human trafficking. The EU allocated €105 million ($121 million) for migration-related support to Tunisia in 2023.
Despite the decline in departures, dangerous crossings from Tunisia’s southern coast have continued, with families in areas including Zarzis continuing to search for relatives who disappear at sea.
Rights organisations have also reported concerns about the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia. Reported issues include collective expulsions, racial violence, arbitrary detention and alleged abuses against Black migrants.
In July, Amnesty International said continued EU support for Tunisian border control was contributing to serious human rights violations and criticised conditions faced by refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
(With inputs from PTI)
