At least 13 Tunisians Unaccounted for After Boat Capsizes En Route to Italy

A migrant craft that set out from Tunisia for Italy capsized early Thursday, resulting in at least 13 Tunisians being reported missing, according to Mostafa Abdelkebir of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights. Two individuals survived; one recounted hours spent stranded at sea, and the second survivor is in critical condition. The incident occurs amid a sharp drop in departures following a crackdown supported by European funding and modern border-monitoring equipment, especially from Italy.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other NGOs have accused the EU-Tunisia migration deal of fostering serious abuses against migrants and have urged the EU to halt related funding. Tunisia has not responded to the NGOs’ statement but continues to emphasize the heavy burden of migration flows, a concern echoed by President Kais Saied’s 2023 claim that the influx seeks to change the country’s demographic makeup. The central Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest routes for migrants from Africa and the Middle East seeking Europe.