Migrant boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia: 13 dead, 27 missing

A boat carrying 42 Sudanese migrants capsized off the coast of the city of Chebba in the Mahdia region of Tunisia.

Authorities announced that the bodies of 13 people from the boat, which had departed from Jebeniana in the Sfax region, have been recovered, 27 people are missing, and 2 people have been rescued.

An investigation has been launched into suspected human trafficking, and search and rescue operations for the missing are ongoing.

Tunisia and Libya are known as preferred departure points for thousands of irregular migrants who risk their lives in hopes of reaching Europe for a better life.

According to statistics, Tunisian authorities apprehended 69 thousand 963 irregular migrants in the first 11 months of 2023. This figure is double the number of migrants apprehended during the same period in 2022.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 2 thousand 270 people lost their lives while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean in 2023, marking a 60 percent increase in deaths compared to 2022.

News Source: İHA