A boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of southern Tunisia, resulting in at least two deaths and leaving approximately 12 people missing, according to Tunisia's national guard. One survivor was rescued.
Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli told the state news agency TAP that authorities recovered two bodies and transferred them to a hospital on the nearby island of Djerba. He informed national radio Mosaique FM that an estimated 15 people were on board the boat when it departed between the cities of Zarzis and Ben Guerdane.
The vessel had set off early Thursday, and a commercial ship found the sole survivor on Saturday in a life jacket, Mosaique reported, citing the survivor's testimony. A helicopter and coast guard boats were subsequently dispatched to the area to search for more survivors. The migrants were reportedly en route to Italy.
Zarzis has historically served as a departure point for individuals from Tunisia and other parts of Africa attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. This region experienced a similar tragedy in 2022 when a boat carrying 18 people went missing, prompting protests amid accusations that authorities failed to conduct adequate searches and buried some recovered bodies without identification.
Migration departures from Tunisia have significantly decreased since the European Union and Tunisia finalized a comprehensive agreement in 2023. This accord includes EU financial and technical assistance for Tunisia's border control and coast guard training, aimed at curbing irregular migration and deterring human traffickers in the Mediterranean. In 2023 alone, the EU allocated 105 million euros ($121 million) to Tunisia for migration-related support.
Despite the reduction in overall migration, dangerous crossings from Tunisia's southern coast have not ceased. Families, particularly in Zarzis, have continued to search for relatives lost at sea. Rights groups have expressed concerns regarding the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia since the EU agreement, citing reports of collective expulsions, racial violence, arbitrary detention, and abuses against Black migrants. Amnesty International stated in July that EU support for border control in Tunisia continues to contribute to serious rights violations, leaving refugees and asylum seekers in a system that provides neither protection nor a safe exit.