Two dead, 12 missing after migrant boat capsizes off Tunisia
At least two people have died and around 12 are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the southern coast of Tunisia, according to the country's national guard. One survivor has been rescued.
Houssem Eddine Jebabli, a spokesperson for the national guard, told the state news agency TAP that two bodies had been recovered and taken to a hospital on the nearby island of Djerba. He also told national radio Mosaique FM that about 15 people were believed to have been on board when the boat set off between the cities of Zarzis and Ben Guerdane.
The boat reportedly left early on Thursday, August 20. A commercial ship found the sole survivor on Saturday, August 22, wearing a life jacket, according to Mosaique, citing testimony from the survivor. Following the discovery, a helicopter and coast guard boats were dispatched to search for more survivors in the area.
The migrants are believed to have been heading towards Italy. Zarzis has long been a departure point for Tunisians and others from across Africa and beyond who attempt to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. The southern Tunisian coast remains a frequent route for such crossings, despite the risks.
The area has seen similar tragedies before. In 2022, a boat carrying 18 people went missing off Zarzis, sparking weeks of protests. Families accused authorities of failing to carry out proper search efforts and of burying some recovered bodies without identifying them or notifying their families. That incident highlighted longstanding grievances in the region about the handling of migrant deaths.
Migrant departures from Tunisia have declined sharply since the European Union and Tunisia signed a broad agreement in 2023. The deal included EU funding and technical support for Tunisian border control and coast guard training, with the aim of curbing irregular migration and deterring human traffickers in the Mediterranean. The EU allocated 105 million euros (about USD 121 million) in migration-related support to Tunisia in 2023 alone.
However, the reduction in numbers has not ended dangerous crossings from Tunisia's southern coast. In the south, particularly in Zarzis, families have for years searched for relatives who disappeared at sea. The latest incident underscores that the Mediterranean route remains perilous, even as overall departures have decreased.
Rights groups have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia since the agreement. There have been reports of collective expulsions, racial violence, arbitrary detention and abuses against Black migrants. In July, Amnesty International said EU support for border control in Tunisia continued to fuel serious rights violations, and that refugees and asylum seekers were being "deliberately trapped in a system that offers neither protection nor a safe way out."
