At least 13 Tunisians missing after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia, group says

Tunisian migrant boat sinks off coast, leaving at least 13 people missing and two rescued, according to the head of a human rights group. The vessel departed from Tunisia early Thursday, with one survivor telling rescuers that they had been stranded at sea for hours after their boat capsized. The second survivor was in critical condition, reported Mostafa Abdelkebir of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.

Tunisia, once a prominent departure point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, has seen a significant drop in departures over the past two years due to crackdowns and increased maritime controls, including support from Europe through funding and advanced border monitoring technology. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have stated that the EU-Tunisia migration deal has enabled and normalized severe abuses against migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia.

They have urged the EU to halt funding for migration and border control activities involving Tunisian security forces. Despite this, Tunisia maintains that it is experiencing a major influx of migrants, with President Kais Saied claiming in 2023 that the influx aims to alter the country's demographic composition. The central Mediterranean route is notorious for being one of the deadliest routes for migrants traveling from Africa and the Middle East to Europe, typically in overcrowded or substandard boats.