Tunisia Migrant Boat Sinks, 13 Missing Off Coast
Two survivors rescued as vessel capsizes on Italy-bound route
Tunisia – (Special Correpondent/Web Desj) – A Tunisia migrant boat has sunk off the country’s coast, leaving at least 13 people missing, a local rights group confirmed on Saturday.
The boat left early Thursday morning, carrying passengers hoping to reach Italy across the Mediterranean Sea.
Mostafa Abdelkebir, head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, said only two survivors have been found so far.
One survivor was picked up by a local fishing boat after spending hours stranded at sea following the capsizing. The second survivor remains in critical condition, according to Abdelkebir.
Search efforts are still underway to locate the remaining missing passengers.
Tunisia used to be one of the busiest departure points for migrants trying to cross into Europe. However, departures have dropped sharply over the last two years.
This decline follows a strict government crackdown paired with tighter coastal patrols. Italy has also provided funding and modern surveillance tools to help monitor the coastline.
Despite these controls, rights groups say the situation on the ground remains troubling.
Last month, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and several other organizations released a joint statement. They claimed that the migration agreement between the EU and Tunisia has worsened abuse against migrants and asylum seekers.
These groups urged the European Union to pause funding tied to Tunisian border and migration enforcement.
Tunisian officials have not responded directly to these accusations. However, the government has often said it is struggling under pressure from rising migration numbers.
In 2023, President Kais Saied claimed the migrant influx was a deliberate attempt to alter Tunisia’s population makeup.
The central Mediterranean remains one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world. Thousands of migrants from Africa and the Middle East attempt this crossing yearly, often on overcrowded and unsafe boats.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact nationalities or number of passengers aboard the sunken vessel.
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