Tunisia says recovered 12 migrants’ drowned bodies

Tunisia's national guard announced on Sunday that it had recovered 12 bodies from the Mediterranean Sea following a tragic boat sinking off the southeastern coast. The boat, carrying 15 migrants, capsized some 14 nautical miles off the coast of Zarzis on Friday night. Only one person was rescued, leaving two others unaccounted for.

Search operations yielded three bodies on Saturday and nine more on Sunday, totaling 12 victims, according to the national guard's statement. Searches for the two missing individuals continued. The incident occurred in Ben Guerdane, a city near the Libyan border, where 14 of the migrants hailed from. Protests erupted in the city, blocking roads and setting tires ablaze over the tragedy.

Tunisia, situated 145km from the Italian island of Lampedusa, is a primary departure point for migrants embarking on the perilous Mediterranean journey to Europe. The central Mediterranean route is recognized as the deadliest migration route globally, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reporting a more than doubling of migrant deaths in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

As of now, at least 914 migrants have died or gone missing along the route this year. In 2023, Tunisia entered into a €255 million (US$290 million) agreement with the European Union, with nearly half the funds allocated to addressing irregular migration, a deal strongly endorsed by Italy's right-wing government aimed at curbing boats from departing Tunisia's shores.