Tunisia migrant boat sinks; 13 missing

A migrant boat carrying irregular migrants, many of them youths and including a pregnant woman and family members, sank off the Tunisian coast with at least 13 Tunisians missing and only two survivors, one of whom is in critical condition. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with coast guard and naval assets searching as authorities have recovered several bodies whose identities remain unconfirmed. The incident underscores long-standing concerns about the central Mediterranean route being among the world’s deadliest migration paths, and follows Tunisia’s intensified security campaigns and European-backed border controls that have reduced overall departures. Human rights groups criticized the EU-Tunisia migration agreement, saying it has exacerbated abuses against migrants and asylum seekers and urged suspending funding for border-control activities. The International Organization for Migration has highlighted that deaths and disappearances on the central Mediterranean route have surged, with hundreds of fatalities reported this year alone. Tunisian authorities and international observers note the ongoing shift in migration patterns and stress that Tunisia remains a key departure point despite the tightened controls, while debates over EU support and migrant protections continue.