Twelve Tunisian migrants lost their lives, and 29 others were rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Djerba, Tunisia, on Monday, according to a judicial spokesperson.
The spokesperson for the Medenine Court, Fathi Boukoush, reported that the bodies of 12 individuals were recovered, while 29 others were saved after the vessel sank near the area of Houmt Souk in Djerba. Among the deceased were five men, three infants, and four women.
Authorities are currently investigating to determine the total number of migrants on board the boat, which had departed from Djerba. Boukoush confirmed that an inquiry into the incident has been initiated.
The Tunisian Coast Guard stated that on Monday morning, they were alerted to the presence of four individuals emerging from the water who had attempted to sail illegally. Upon receiving the notification, the Coast Guard units promptly responded to the scene, discovering that a shipwreck had occurred involving a group of both Tunisian and foreign nationals.
Tunisia, along with Libya, serves as a primary departure point in North Africa for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. The closest Italian shores are approximately 150 kilometers from Tunisia.
Earlier this week, the Tunisian Coast Guard recovered the bodies of 13 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa off the eastern coast of Tunisia.
In 2023, more than 1,300 migrants have either died or gone missing in shipwrecks off the Tunisian coast, according to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights.
From the beginning of the year to mid-May, 103 migrant boats capsized, as reported by the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior. During the first four months of the year, the National Guard indicated that it “intercepted or rescued” 21,545 migrants, marking a year-on-year increase of approximately 22.5%.
According to the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 30,000 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean over the past decade, including more than 3,000 individuals last year.
