All the victims and survivors were from sub-Saharan African countries, says the civil defense director in Sfax.
At least 27 people, including women and children, have died and 83 others have been rescued after two boats capsized near Tunisia, the country’s National Guard said.
The boats sank in the waters off the city of Sfax, a departure point often used by irregular migrants and refugees seeking to travel to Europe.
The two makeshift boats were launched “on the night of December 31 to January 1,” a Tunisian National Guard official told AFP on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
The National Guard, which oversees the Tunisian Coast Guard, said a baby was among the dead.
All the victims and survivors were from sub-Saharan African countries, Ziad al-Sidiri, director of civil defense in Sfax, said in a press release on Thursday.
Al-Sidiri added that 15 of the survivors were transferred to the hospital to receive first aid, while the bodies of those who died have been handed over to the Tunisian coast guard, which will transport them to the local forensics department.
The search for the remaining missing persons on board is still ongoing.
Last month, the Tunisian coastguard recovered the bodies of around 30 more people in two separate incidents after their boat capsized while sailing towards Europe.
The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) also noted that “between 600 and 700” people were killed or went missing in shipwrecks off Tunisia in 2024, compared to more than 1,300 in 2023.
The maritime migration route between Africa and Europe is one of the most dangerous in the world, with almost 24,500 people missing or dead in the central Mediterranean since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Most of these deaths occurred on boats that left from Libya and Tunisia.
In recent years, Tunisia has replaced Libya as the main departure point for both Tunisians and people from other countries seeking a better life in Europe.
The European Union reached a migration and development agreement with Tunisia in 2023 worth 255 million euros ($262 million) aimed at strengthening Tunisia’s capacity to prevent ships from leaving its shores. The agreement has led to an increase in the interception of ships in waters off the North African country.
Rights bodies and Mediterranean rescue missions have condemned the deal and questioned how it will protect the vulnerable.
In October 2024, the EU Ombudsman said the European Commission did not publish “any information” about the risks it identified before signing the deal.
“It is also impossible to ignore, in this context, the deeply disturbing reports that continue to emerge about the human rights situation in Tunisia, especially when it comes to the treatment of migrants,” the Ombudsman said.
