- Two Survivors Rescued as Authorities Face Renewed Concerns Over Deadly Mediterranean Migration Route
TUNIS: At least 13 Tunisians are missing after a migrant boat sank off the Tunisian coast while attempting to cross the Mediterranean toward Italy, according to the head of a Tunisian migrant rights organization. Two people were rescued, with one reportedly in critical condition.
The vessel departed early Thursday, according to Mostafa Abdelkebir, head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights. One of the survivors told rescuers aboard a local fishing boat that the migrants had spent several hours stranded at sea after their vessel capsized.
Abdelkebir said the second survivor was in critical condition, while efforts to determine the whereabouts of the missing passengers continued.
Tunisia Remains a Key Mediterranean Departure Point
The incident highlights the continuing dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, despite a significant decline in departures from Tunisia over the past two years.
Departures have fallen amid increased maritime surveillance, tighter border controls and a broader crackdown on irregular migration, supported in part by European funding and enhanced border-monitoring equipment, particularly from Italy.
Rights Groups Raise Concerns Over EU-Tunisia Migration Cooperation
The latest tragedy comes amid growing criticism from international human rights organizations over European cooperation with Tunisia on migration control.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and dozens of other humanitarian and rights organizations said last month that the EU-Tunisia migration agreement had contributed to what they described as serious abuses against migrants and asylum seekers.
The organizations called on the European Union to suspend funding for migration-management and border-control activities involving Tunisian security forces.
Tunisia Highlights Pressure From Irregular Migration
Tunisian authorities have repeatedly maintained that the country is bearing a disproportionate burden from increased migration pressures and have called for greater international support.
President Kais Saied said in 2023 that the growing influx of migrants posed serious challenges for Tunisia, including concerns over the country’s demographic and social stability.
Central Mediterranean Remains One of the World’s Deadliest Routes
The sinking underscores the persistent risks associated with the Central Mediterranean migration route, one of the world’s most dangerous maritime corridors.
The route is frequently used by migrants from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe, often aboard overcrowded, poorly equipped or unseaworthy vessels. Repeated shipwrecks and disappearances have continued to highlight the humanitarian cost of irregular migration across the Mediterranean.
BY: The Times Union
