Tunisia's coastguard has recovered eleven bodies after a boat carrying Tunisian migrants sank en route to Italy, with three individuals still unaccounted for. The National Guard confirmed on Sunday that search operations are ongoing.
Coastguard, military, and civil protection teams, supported by two helicopters, are continuing their efforts to locate the missing individuals. The vessel departed early on Thursday carrying fifteen predominantly young passengers and subsequently sank off the Tunisian coast. As of Saturday, only one survivor had been rescued.
The sole survivor reported being adrift at sea for forty-eight hours before a commercial vessel discovered him. Reports indicate that among the passengers were seven members of the same family and a man accompanied by his pregnant wife, according to the head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.
All migrants aboard originated from the Ben Guerdane region in southeastern Tunisia. Late Saturday, numerous young residents gathered in the town, situated near the Libyan border, to advocate for the acceleration of search operations. Police reportedly deployed teargas to disperse the assembled protesters.
The central Mediterranean route, originating from the North African coast, is recognized as one of the world's most perilous migration pathways. It is frequently utilized by migrants from Africa and the Middle East attempting to reach Europe, often on overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.
This incident occurs amidst growing international scrutiny of migration agreements. Last month, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and numerous other rights and humanitarian organizations issued a statement asserting that a migration accord between Tunisia and the European Union has exacerbated and legitimized severe abuses against migrants and asylum seekers within Tunisia. The organizations have urged the EU to halt funding for migration and border control initiatives involving Tunisian security forces.
