11 bodies recovered after boat carrying migrants sinks off Tunisia

Eleven bodies have been recovered from a Tunisian migrant boat that sank off the country's coast this weekend, the Tunisian coastguard announced on Sunday. Three individuals remain missing, with the search continuing led by coastguard, military, and civil protection teams, supported by two helicopters. Only one survivor has been found so far, who recounted being adrift at sea for 48 hours before rescue by a commercial vessel.

Among the deceased were seven family members and a man accompanying his pregnant wife, according to the head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights. All migrants hailed from the Ben Guerdane area of southeastern Tunisia. Protests erupted in a nearby town on Saturday, prompting police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd. The central Mediterranean route, a notorious route for illegal migration from North Africa to Europe, has seen numerous tragic incidents involving overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.

Human rights organizations have criticized a recent migration agreement between Tunisia and the European Union, alleging it has enabled and legitimized human rights abuses against migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia, and urged the EU to halt funding for such activities.